


Serpent's Halcyon Days

by Dock872210



Series: Ophisverse [4]
Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family, Genderfluid Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-14 04:54:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18045878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dock872210/pseuds/Dock872210
Summary: With her place place in the world of myth and legend secure, it's time for the Great Serpent Ophis to enjoy the fruits of her labor. Join her as she basks in her well deserved halcyon days. [Post Giants War snippet collection set in the world of Rise of a New Power] [X-posted on FFN]





	1. Trails deferred?

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 1: Trails deferred?**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

Sitting on one of the observation decks of a cruise ship sailing through the Aegean, Ophis enjoyed the fantastic nighttime view of the sea that had played host to and shaped so much of her people's ancient history.

"Amazing view, no?"

"Truly. Thank you for suggesting that we meet here." The Great Serpent said as she turned to face her companion for the evening. The god of the arts was wearing the guise of a handsome twenty something with curly blonde hair, a perfect tan and blue eyes that gave off a faint almost undetectable glow. He was dressed in a stylishly cut but garishly colored gold suit.

Despite his questionable choice of clothing, a gaggle of mortals were gawking at his incredibly good looks and making various appreciative sounds at him.

"They're still there." Ophis said with a amused smirk. "Your fans really do love you."

Apollo laughed good naturedly before shaking his head, earning a few sighs from his adoring groupies.

"My fans? What about yours? You look smashing too, you know." The god said with a playful smirk while gesturing at Ophis' own appearance. The young protogenos was in her new adult form. She had waist length raven black hair that she let freely flow down her back, a supermodel's figure, pale skin and regal features. An overall beautiful package that was made even more eye-catching by her sporting a cocktail dress with an illusion neckline and a black and white checkerboard pattern.

Scanning over herself, the primordial had to admit that her nephew might have a point.

"Mortals are stupid."

"Definitely, Aunt Ophis. Definitely." Apollo said with an amused shake of his head.

"Sometimes." Ophis qualified her observation. "But I'm sure you didn't invite me here to talk about that. What did you really want to discuss?"

"Just wanted to thank you for taking the fall for the Gigantomachy." The god of the sun said while offering his aunt a grateful bow. "Zeus was totally planning to pin the blame for the whole war on me. Then you do your thing and suddenly if there was anyone on our side to blame then it's you because you're the one to first take the fight to the enemy."

"Well, Zeus was just looking for a scapegoat-"

"To appear in charge." Apollo agreed with a nod. "The old man's need to do that all the time is one of his biggest character flaws. Good job exploiting that by the way."

Ophis shrugged. "It was easy. It helps that Zeus rarely thinks things through as he really should."

The Olympian nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I mean, seriously it was not like he didn't exploit the fact that you're not under Olympian jurisdiction at the start of the war to get his way. But then forgetting all about that fact when he tried to punish you at the end?"

"His hubris blinded him, I think."

"Probably." Apollo agreed. "Regardless, you played the whole thing masterfully."

With that the god of music gave her a round of applause.

Blushing at the praise, Ophis shook her head bashfully. "You're exaggerating."

"God of truth"

"Also god of the arts. I'm sure you could if you wanted to." Ophis countered.

Apollo just offered her a cheeky grin.

The Great Serpent blushed. The sun god's grin gave him a roguish look that had her heart beating faster in a way that she was growing uncomfortably familiar with.

_By Mother Chaos, why is he so damn handsome!?_ Ophis cursed. His good looks and unnatural charm was totally unfair. How was she supposed to have a proper conversation with him without getting distracted? Not for the first time since her maturity, the young protogenos wished she could have remained a child forever. Things were so much simpler when things like physical attraction were just abstract concepts to her.

_He's my nephew. Nephew!_ The newly adult primordial told herself like a mantra even as she offered the god a smile of her own.

"So, since you're here, mind answering a question?" Ophis asked, desperate to keep the conversation going. If they were talking then she could distract herself a little better from how utterly perfect Apollo looked.

"Sure, go ahead." The single god said with a knowing look in his eyes.

_He knows!_ Ophis noted with dismay. Then again it shouldn't have been a surprise. Apollo had charmed more than his fair share of lovers. There was no doubt that he knew the kind of effect he had on people. _And the meanie is keeping it up! Argh!_

Not giving the flirty god the satisfaction of admitting to how he was making her feel, Ophis pressed ahead with her question. "What exactly do you intend to do with Python? He's still at Delphi."

"Honestly? I haven't decided yet." The god admitted, before turning thoughtful. "I was actually thinking that with our main Oracle out of commission, this was the perfect time to push for hunting down a few more."

"That's a good idea. I've always been uncomfortable with the over reliance on the Pythian Oracle by the Campers. It's a single point of failure that left them vulnerable."

"I know right!" The god of prophecy said with enthusiasm. This was obviously a pet issue of his. "Just look at them now. Without an Oracle they can't even set out on any quests, like at all."

"Well, unless a god goes ahead and issues one directly."

"Yeah, but that's _so_ troublesome."

Ophis frowned. That attitude was typical of the gods and in her opinion, one of the the main reasons they were resented by so many. If only they could learn to be more personable and less self-centered. She knew however this was likely never going to happen. The gods had thousands of years to change but only ended up more set in their ways than ever before. The Great Serpent just hoped she never ended up like them.

"Right." Ophis said neutrally, letting none of her disdain for his attitude show. "Which one are you thinking of going after first?"

"Hmm." The god said while rubbing his chin theatrically. "The Grove of Dodona is the best bet as it's not linked to me. As such having access to it will eliminate the issue, as you said earlier, of having a single point of failure."

"That's a good idea. It's not going to be easy though. Rhea is not easy to find nor convince to help."

"Finding her can't be _that_ hard. Doesn't Grandma Rhea visit you frequently?"

_And I wish she didn't!_ Ophis thought to herself unhappily. The Titan's visits were almost always accompanied by her criticizing and/or reprimanding the primordial over something. Honestly, the younger immortal had on more than one occasion been sorely tempted to just ban Rhea from Ogygia and her other domains. The only thing stopping her was the bad blood that would inevitably cause between her and her siblings for doing something so disrespectful to their mother. _That and she gives good advice. Sometimes._

Her feelings for the Titan of Motherhood however were immaterial to the discussion and she pushed it aside.

"I won't help you." She told the god bluntly. "If you do this then it will _your_ mission and you'll need to accomplish it on your own."

"Aw. You sure?" The god of youth asked while amping up his roguish charm while shooting her a pleading look.

Ophis shifted nervously in her seat as her heart raced and she blushed prettily but she held her ground and shook her head.

Pouting, the god relented with a resigned nod.

Taking a deep breath to help regain her balance, Ophis decided to press on before Apollo tried another charm offensive. She wasn't sure she could fend off another one.

"Artemis," the protogenos blurted out, earning herself a confused but amused look from the god. "How is she?"

It seemed she'd hit on the perfect topic, or at least it looked like it at first. But as the god's amusement drained at the question, it was replaced by sadness that tugged at her heartstrings.

_Considering this makes him look like a kicked puppy, I honestly don't know if this is any better._ Ophis pondered as she suppressed a groan.

"She's not doing too good lately." The sun god admitted. "After the debacle at Delos, everyone picked up on Hestia giving her the cold shoulder. You know how popular she is."

Ophis nodded, fully aware that her eldest sister was arguably the most well liked god on Olympus.

"Yeah, so everyone decided that if Arte somehow pissed off Hestia then she must have done something _really_ bad."

"So they followed Big Sister's example?"

"Pretty much." Apollo said with grimace. "Didn't help either that Hestia was only too glad to tell everyone what Arte tried to trick you into doing. I mean, I know it was beyond the pale and she deserves some bite back for it. But this is a little too much."

"What do you mean? Everyone's just giving her the cold shoulder, right?" Ophis asked. She'd been on the receiving end of that herself when she'd thought herself a mere mortal orphan and while unpleasant wasn't something that would elicit this kind of reaction out of Apollo.

"Hah! I wish." Apollo scoffed. "Arte's been subject to some pretty harsh treatment on Olympus lately. All of the children of Kronos, even Zeus, are angry at what she did and everyone else is taking their cues from them."

"Like what?"

Apollo shot her a searching look, before sighing and began giving an example. "Getting shunned by the vendors in the marketplace. Arte doesn't buy much, if anything really, but when the nymphs and minor gods refuse to do business with an Olympian… well then you know you've fallen far."

That didn't sound too bad, but Ophis could see where the god was going with this. If even the lowest ranking people on Olympus were actively avoiding Artemis then what more her peers and other notables. And what else could they get away with when showing their displeasure? With the goddess of the hunt now a pariah among the gods, what would her rivals get away with that they couldn't have before?

Frowning at the possibilities that her mind conjured up, Ophis resolved to do something.

"I'll go pay Artemis a visit soon. I'll make sure its very public so everyone will know there's no bad blood between us."

Apollo gaped at her for a moment, before his expression shifted into a honest smile.

"You know, I think you might be the best Aunt ever." The god of truth told her.

"Don't let Hestia hear that." Ophis told him, only half joking. Her Big Sister was quite proud of her title as the most beloved member of the family. Who knew what she'd do if she caught even a hint that she might be usurped.

"Why not? You might be best, but she's bestest!"

Ophis giggled at his antics.

Smiling victoriously, Apollo stood up.

"Enough serious talk for today." He declared as he offered the young woman his arm. "It's time for us to do what we _really_ came here for."

Raising from her own seat and hooking her arm around his, Ophis raised an eyebrow as she asked, "What exactly do you have in mind? I take it that it has something to do with your insistence that I come in my adult form?"

"You're right." The god acknowledged as he began leading her off the observation deck and into the halls of the ship. "Let's just say I'm doing my duty as your nephew and introducing you to a few things that you can enjoy now that you're an adult."

Ophis felt her blood pumping in her ears as her thoughts went wild at his declaration. What did he mean exactly? Was he going to bed her? Show her some bedroom tricks while doing so? Did she want him to?

_Mother Chaos, what should I do!?_

Confused, Ophis threw Apollo a pleading look hoping that he'd clarify his intentions a little more. The damnable god just shot her a smirk, obviously enjoying how she was working herself into a tizzy.

Despite all that, she didn't try to break away from her nephew or just tell him no. Instead, she continued letting him guide her deeper into the ship as she desperately tried to make up her mind.

"We're here." Apollo said, still sporting that teasing smirk of his.

_I'm not ready!_ Ophis almost shouted out loud and pushed away from him, but stopped herself at the last second as she recognized where exactly her tease of a nephew had brought her.

They were standing outside the on-board nightclub.

_This is what he meant!?_ The protogenos thought to herself incredulously. _Argh! Damn him for getting me so worked up over nothing! Then again, this place has possibilities…_

Gently pulling free of her nephew, she offered him her best effort at a sultry smile. Which judging by the way he gulped must have been pretty good.

"So this is the adult fun you wanted to show me tonight? Hmm…" Ophis purred as she eyed the club evaluatively. "I guess this is fine."

Turning to Apollo she sent him a smoldering look that once more had him gulping.

_Never thought Aphrodite's lessons would actually come in handy._ Ophis noted with amusement as she recalled the impromptu lessons on seduction that the goddess of love had teleported onto Ogygia to forcefully provide her shortly after her maturity. _She'd called it an essential part of a woman's education. I didn't believe her then, but now… I think she might have the right of it._

"Just remember to make sure to keep things from going too far, okay?" She told the now frozen god as she ran her hand down the side of his face while stifling her urge to giggle. "We wouldn't want to do something Big Brother Hades wouldn't approve of and get into trouble."

Watching as her reminder of just who he'd have to answer to when it came to her caused the usually unflappable sun god to pale, Ophis turned to hide the broad grin she was sporting at his expense and began to sensually saunter into the club.

She barely managed to smother her giggles as behind her she heard the god hiss to himself that maybe this was a bad idea.

_Too late for that Nephew._ The young woman thought to herself as she stepped into the club and the night of new adult pleasures that awaited.

* * *

**This turned out a lot more flirty than I intended… But you know what? I like it. I think it fits well with Apollo's personality and Ophis' nature as a freshly minted adult keen to explore what that means.**

**Ok, just to clear things up.**

**1) Apollo did not set out to seduce Ophis, he was just teasing. Plus being flirty is as good as being his default mode when faced with an attractive person which his Aunt definitely is.**

**2) Ophis, despite her subjective age,** _**is an adult**_ **here. She's a protogenos, beings that don't exactly follow the mortal rules when it comes to aging. After her maturity at the end of Rise of a New Power, she's an adult in all the ways that matter. It's why I repeatedly described her as a young woman.**

**3) Ophis was** _**not** _ **going to sleep with Apollo. She was tempted by the prospect, since he is an incredibly handsome man and she's a healthy young woman attracted to men. That said, as she herself makes clear when they reach the club, she was not ready and wouldn't have went through with it.**

**4) When Ophis talks about adult pleasures at the end there she's not talking about sex. As established in the preceding point, she's not ready. That said, there's plenty of adult pleasures she can enjoy in a nightclub that would be totally new to her and she's looking forward to trying them out.**

**That I think covers all the potentially controversial things in this chapter. That said if you have any issues, drop me a PM or review and we can discuss it.**

**Now this is only the first part of a two short. I hope it entertained you and encourages you to look forward to the next part where Apollo faces the consequences of what he did in this chapter.  
**

**I'm publishing this now when I have the time, but expect future releases every Friday/Saturday** **UTC+08:00 from now on (including one this Friday).**

**Hope to see you then! Peace out!**


	2. Deferment revoked?

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 2: Deferment revoked?**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

Zeus had called an emergency meeting of the Olympian Council, but as usual the old man had terrible timing. Apollo, the most handsome god in the universe (in his own totally truthful opinion as the god of truth), had been busy charming a sweet little Korean girl he'd met while grabbing a hotdog from his favorite stand (Hey! Don't judge! Driving the sun across the sky was tiring work.) when the summons had come. Deciding that it couldn't be anything important, the mighty Apollo decided he'd finish getting the sweet Sophia's number before showing up fashionably late. What harm would being a few minutes late cause?

As he teleported into the throne room and found himself the last to arrive, Apollo couldn't help but feel like he'd made a mistake. A big one if the way the children of Kronos were all glaring at him were anything to go by. Heck, even Hades was there and didn't that set off alarm bells. Whatever this meeting was about had to be super serious if Zeus made an exception and let the Lord of the Dead onto Olympus when it wasn't the Winter Solstice.

As if that wasn't bad enough, even the usually sweet and forgiving Hestia was looking at him like she'd like nothing better than to burn him alive. Though that might have just been because her eyes were literally aflame as she leveled a deadly glare his way.

He'd usually crack a joke or say something silly to break the tension, but his self-preservation instincts told him quite clearly that attempting to do that now would be a very, very bad idea. So he refrained. But damn if it was difficult.

Looking away from the elder gods, the god of prophecy tried to see what the other Olympians thought about all this.

Athena and Hephaestus were looking at him with angry expressions just like the elder Olympians. The goddess of wisdom he could understand, she tended to follow their father's lead more often than not.

The Master of Volcanoes was a surprise though, he didn't usually agree with the elder gods on much or cared much for the matters brought before the Council. Instead, the fire god tended to spend meetings distracted by whatever artifact he was tinkering with at the time. This wasn't the case now though, while he was still tinkering with something - which Apollo noted with some trepidation looked like some kind of gun - it was clear from his baleful expression that the majority of his focus was on him. The sun god couldn't fathom why though, it was not like he'd done anything to upset the god of the forge recently.

In fact, the Lord of Smiths was looking so pissed that the usually hidden resemblance with his brother Ares was on full display. Said war god was sporting his usual bloodthirsty grin, which wasn't unexpected but still worrying to Apollo when he was the one whose suffering the god of war appeared to be looking forward to enjoy watching. With the two sons of Zeus and Hera uncharacteristically both looking furious, their resemblance was quite uncanny. Not that Apollo would ever tell either of them that, he valued his immortal life thank you very much.

Though the ways things were looking, that might be in bigger jeopardy than he'd thought.

At least, Aphrodite looked like she might be on his side. Well, something resembling it anyways. She was wearing a dismissive frown that gave the impression that she thought everyone was being stupid, but the way she shot nervous looks at the children of Kronos told Apollo he was unlikely to get much if any help from her.

Desperate for allies now, he skimmed his gaze across Dionysus who just looked bored as usual and would be no use to him.

To his growing unease, even Artemis looked conflicted. This was not a good sign. Not a good sign at all. She was usually the one he could count on no matter what, so if she's looking like she might not be on his side then he might have no support whatsoever.

Thankfully, a quick glimpse at Hermes and the supportive smile he shot him told him he wasn't totally alone. Though the way the messenger god was forced to smother it when Hestia of all gods glared at him, sent a chill down the god of light's spine.

_I'm screwed._ Apollo concluded with dismay.

"Um. Sorry for being late?" The god of healing apologized nervously as he headed for this throne. Hoping against all odds that his tardy arrival was what had the set the other gods off.

"Stop!" Zeus declared authoritatively and gesturing to the center of the throne room. "You'll sit there for today."

Looking at what the god king was pointing at, Apollo could only gape incredulously at the human sized stool that had been set up there.

"You've gotta be kidding!"

The only response to Apollo's outraged objection was Zeus and Poseidon brandishing their symbols of power at him. Lightning arced from the Master Bolt and a whirlpool of pure power swirled around the prongs of Poseidon's Trident as they both pointed the deadly weapons at Apollo meaningfully.

Gulping fearfully, the god of music obeyed and shrinking down to a human height he took his seat on the stool like a scolded child.

"Hades," Zeus' voice boomed painfully in Apollo's now human sized ears. "You begin."

_Begin what?_ Apollo wondered worriedly as the Rich One stepped up till he loomed over the son of Leto. Much to the archer's growing fear, the oldest of Kronos' sons was wearing his symbol of power, the dread Helm of Darkness.

"Apollo, god of the sun, light, music, arts, healing, prophecy and truth. You stand accused of the crime-"

_Oh snit! Has Zeus decided to blame me for the Gigantomachy after all?_ The god of the arts thought to himself even as he had to actively fight the urge to piss himself in terror. If his father had really decided to do that then he could only imagine how utterly horrible his punishment would be.

His fear was not helped, at all, by the fact that Hades was cranking his Helm's fear aura to the max and if the sick little smile on his face was any indication was getting a kick out of seeing Apollo squirm. "-of corrupting the innocence of Ophis, Protogenos of Time and Space, sister to the elder gods. What do you have to say about what you did to my little sister, _boy_?"

Apollo's mouth fell open in shock. _This was what this was all about!?_

Tentatively, in part from having to fight through his shock but mostly from having to work past the terror he was feeling, Apollo asked. "Is this about me bringing Ophis to visit that nightclub?"

The whole throne room gasped at what Apollo in hindsight realized was tantamount to a confession.

A furious Hestia didn't leave it at that though and jumping to her feet from her place by the throne room's hearth, she pointed the very sharp and white hot metal poker she'd been using to tend the flames at him.

"So you confess?" The usually personable goddess asked in a menacing voice that crackled with the sound of a roaring blaze.

_Am I in the Twilight Zone? I knew that Hestia was protective of Ophis, but this is a little extreme._ Then again, the goddess of the hearth had started a concerted campaign to make his twin a pariah for trying to trick her little sister into making an Oath to be a virgin goddess. So maybe this wasn't as uncharacteristic as he'd thought. _Note to self: Don't piss off Hestia._

Taking a breath to calm his frayed nerves and cursing his domain of truth, Apollo damned himself. "I-I did bring Ophis out partying once."

He didn't need Hermes' wince nor the throne room becoming consumed by angry shouts from the elder gods demanding he be punished to know he was doomed.

It did surprise him just how vehement the children of Kronos were for his hide over this. Though their wild accusations of him making unwanted advances on Ophis had him totally confused. Where in the world did that come from?

_Mental note: Stay away from Ophis. Full stop._ Apollo thought to himself as he shrank into himself in a futile bid to escape the raw anger being leveled at him. _Nothing's worth risking pissing off her overprotective siblings. Nothing!_

It took a full five minutes but finally Zeus lost his patience with the chaos and reestablished order by slamming the Master Bolt on the ground, coincidentally (Yeah right!) directly in front of Apollo.

Completely naturally, the normally fearless god squeaked in fright and jumped back like a little girl. The Master Bolt was scary!

"Apollo," Zeus said, his whole form exuding a menacing authority. "Would you confirm again that you brought your _nine year old_ Aunt to a _nightclub."_

Again cursing the difficulty he had in lying, Apollo slowly nodded.

"The accused has confessed. It is but a formality, but let us vote. Guilty or not guilty?" The king of Olympus addressed the Council.

"Shouldn't I get a chance to speak in my own defense?" Apollo asked desperately.

"You already have." Hera informed him, menace dripping from every pore. "You used it to confess."

_Oh right… Well, shit._

The voting went as expected. Namely terribly. The elder gods all voted guilty, as did Athena, Hephaestus, Ares and much to Apollo's horror Artemis!

Hermes, a bro to the end, defiantly abstained even as the elder gods all glared at him for doing so.

Dionysius abstained as well saying that he couldn't exactly vote against him when Apollo introduced Ophis to his domain, but that he generally agreed that he screwed up. The jerk!

Aphrodite was the only one who voted not guilty.

"I think you're all being stupid." The goddess of love said in a derisive tone after voting. "Ophis may only be nine but she's a fully grown goddess and is free to do what she wants, even if it means partying like the adult that she is!"

"Your _opinion_ , Aphrodite," Zeus replied sneering the word 'opinion' in a clear indication of how low he thought of it. "Is noted. However, it is inconsequential since there is a clear majority."

Turning to address the whole Council once more Zeus passed the judgement. "Apollo, god of the sun, light, music, arts, healing, prophecy and truth. You are hereby found guilty of the crime of corrupting the innocence of Ophis, Protogenos of Time and Space, sister to the elder gods. Suggestions, Council, on his punishment?"

"Let's have him fight for our amusement until he gets dismembered! The ichor and gore will be fabulous!" Ares suggested enthusiastically and was met with disgusted looks from everyone present. Arte, in a sign that she hadn't completely forsaken him, summoned her bow and pulled back on it meaningfully. Though she still didn't say anything in his defense.

Hera just sighed at her son's behavior. "Where did I go wrong with him?"

Her siblings, minus Zeus obviously, smirked at her plight but otherwise ignored her.

Instead, Demeter jumped on the suggest a cruel fate for Apollo bandwagon.

"Why not have Apollo spend some time as a tree." The goddess of fertility said thoughtfully. "He could use the time to reflect on what he's done."

"That idea has merit." Hera agreed.

"Yes, but perhaps not a tree." Poseidon chimed in, sending a look to Zeus he continued. "Turning people into trees is old fashioned. How about a clam instead? Some species of those are long living animals with little to no ability to move, which makes them as good as a tree but a little more unique."

Zeus huffed at the obvious barb at what he'd done to save his latest half-blood daughter, Thalia Grace, a few years back.

Athena though seemed to take genuine offense at the sea god's suggestion. "Not in my lifetime, barnacle breath. You just want to have Apollo under your domain so you can torture him more."

Feeling the twinge of his senses at the war goddess' words, Apollo paled as he realized that she was speaking the truth. He was usually on pretty good terms with the sea god, so to think that his little indiscretion (Not that he actually did anything wrong!) with the older god's little sister would engender such ill will towards him was greatly disheartening.

Uncaring of his dismay, Athena and Poseidon looked ready for another of their infamous bouts but before the two ancient rivals could get into an argument, Hades spoke up and cut them off. "If it's torture we're looking for there's always space in the Fields of Punishment."

Turning to Hephaestus, the Lord of the Underworld asked. "Any ideas?"

"Hmm… Some." The fire god said while he stroked his beard.

_Please don't let that be my punishment._ Apollo prayed to anyone who would listen. He really didn't want to become the test subject for the smith god's latest torture device.

"Enough with this foolishness!" Zeus interjected angrily. "Be serious about this. There's no way that Apollo will receive his punishment from either of you, his sentence needs to be something fair and neither of you can honestly claim to be objective."

"And you can?" Poseidon scoffed while Hades nodded.

"More so than either of you." Hera countered. "Or have you forgotten Zeus' mixed feelings about Ophis?"

_Thank Chaos that Zeus and Ophis don't get along._

As Hera said, the god of lightning and Ophis weren't exactly close. In fact they'd been at loggerheads quite a few times since the protogenos had made her debut. That meant that even if the king of Olympus had been forced to punish Apollo over this joke of a 'crime' to mollify his other siblings, he at least would be fair about it. He hoped so anyways.

"And then there's the fact," Hestia added. "That a fair punishment issued by the Council is the only way to stop you three from fighting over who punished Apollo the most fittingly."

Said god paled at the prospect of his punishment becoming the latest metric by which the sons of Kronos ranked themselves in their unending competition to one up each other. If that were the case… Well, he doubt he'd _ever_ get released from whatever horrible fate awaited him.

"If it's about being fair, then why not have Apollo spend a stint as a mortal like he had in the past when he committed crimes against Olympus?" Hermes suggested. "It has precedent."

Apollo couldn't thank his friend enough for the suggestion. If he was getting punished then he was glad that at least it was in a way that was relatively tame.

The Council likewise seemed to think the idea fitting as after some consideration, the Council - or more accurately the elder gods who were leading this witch hunt - agreed that it was a fair and just punishment.

"That said," Hestia however pointed out. "It cannot be so simple as Apollo _just_ being turned into a mortal for a time. Each time he was punished thus in the past, he was sent to complete a particular task. The first time, he was forced to serve King Admetus of Thessaly as a shepherd for a year. The second time, he was forced to serve Laomedon, the King of Troy. So what then would his task be this time?"

"If we are using precedent as our guide than in line with his previous punishments, Apollo should be sent to serve some mortal ruler."

This was met with easy approval, though they could not agree on who he should serve.

"I say he should go serve one of the cruel dictators and get a look at some of the punishment he so narrowly missed out on." Hades suggested.

"That has my vote." Ares, the bloodthirsty barbarian, naturally liked the idea.

"I think it is fitting as well." Hestia, surprisingly, agreed as well. "Watching all that suffering might teach him some compassion."

Ares scoffed but no one really paid the fool any mind.

_That's not that bad…_ Apollo mused. Sure, he'd end up being the hatchet man of some crazy warlord but at least he'd live in reasonable luxury as the guy's trusted executioner.

As the others debated the merits of Hades' suggestion, Demeter and Hera conferred among themselves for a minute or two before offering their own suggestion.

Acting as their spokeswoman, Demeter said. "We think that he should go serve the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as the caretaker of their children. Doing so should teach him how to treasure the young more."

"I supports this." Artemis said, earning herself dark looks from most of the other gods.

_They probably think it's because it's a cushy job and as my twin she's just voting for it because of that fact._ Apollo mused even as realized that his twin was just voting in accordance with her domain over maidens. The Cambridges had a young daughter after all.

"Bah!" Poseidon said dismissively. "That's far too comfortable a post. Why not have him be the handler for some wastrel prince and see how partying can ruin things. That should be appropriately fitting I think."

"That has my vote." Zeus said.

"Fitting indeed." Hephaestus agreed.

"I'll have to object on principle." Dionysus said, breaking from his disinterested silence. "There's nothing fundamentally wrong with a good party."

"Gotta agree with D there. Besides, wouldn't that mean Apollo gets to party like crazy. Don't think that's much of a punishment."

Apollo shot Hermes a betrayed look at that. It sounded perfect to him!

Hermes ignored the look and instead continued with his own suggestion. "Why not have him go be a Secret Service agent guarding the President, at least this way he wouldn't be as far away from Olympus as what Demeter suggested while being less of a fun time than Poseidon's suggestion."

"This idea has merit." Athena said with a nod. "Hermes is correct to say that it would bet unsafe to send Apollo as far away as Britain or worse outside our sphere of influence as some of the other suggestions have the risk of doing."

The Council mulled over this for a moment, before Zeus turned to the only member who had not voiced an opinion on the matter.

"Aphrodite, any suggestions?"

"None. I'm staying out of this nonsense."

Zeus looked ready to rebuke the defiant goddess of love when he was interrupted by a black and white geyser of energy spontaneously erupting next to the daughter of Ouranos' throne. From this rather impressive but short lived display of power stepped out Ophis.

The protogenos was in her adult form and wearing a provocative white dress with a plunging v neck and a skirt that barely reached her thighs. One made from a thin almost translucent fabric which allowed the outline of the black undergarments she wore underneath to peek through.

"I have to agree with Aphrodite. This whole trail is a farce." The young immortal declared before nodding to the Lady of Doves. "Thank you for notifying me about it."

Apollo silently offered his thanks to the goddess of love too even as Ophis continued with her intervention.

"That said, I acknowledges that judgement has been pass-"

"What are you wearing!?" A scandalised Hestia asked, apparently unable to contain her shock at her little sister's choice of attire any longer. Not that he could blame her. With the exception of Aphrodite, everyone in the throne room - Apollo himself included - was looking at the protogenos in shock. They had never seen the young woman in anything remotely like her current outfit.

"You do remember, Big Sister, that I am an adult now, right?" Ophis asked rhetorically, while smirking. "I'm just trying out something new. Isn't flaunting my new status and experimenting with other things like my sensuality that comes with it something all new adults do?"

"I guess so…" Hestia unhappily conceded. "But did you have to wear something quite so _provocative_ to make your point?"

"Statements need to be bold or they'll be overlooked." Ophis said with a shrug.

Zeus cleared his throat, which sounded suspiciously dry and said, "Ophis what are you doing here besides trying to prove our point about Apollo's corrupting influence?"

Apollos gulped. _It backfired!_

It seemed that Ophis' little 'statement' might actually be doing him more harm than good. At least that looked to be the case if all the glares the elder goddesses were shooting him were any indication. Their brothers were doing much the same while desperately tried to avert their eyes from their youngest sister.

_I can't catch a break today._

"I'm the victim here, aren't I?" Ophis said with a sigh. "That being the case, I felt the need to intervene by offering a reasonable suggestion for a punishment."

"You're not contesting the guilty verdict?" Hera asked, curiously.

"No, I respect the Council's right to pass judgement on one of its own."

_No! You were my only hope!_ Apollo lamented as his heart sank.

"Instead I'm here to offer a suggestion on a fitting punishment."

"What do you have in mind?" Zeus asked his youngest sister.

Ophis just smirked and Apollo felt a chill go down his spine.

* * *

A few weeks after Apollo began his punishment, Ophis decided to pay her nephew a visit. Checking his schedule to make sure he was having a break, she teleported into the large room packed to the brim with cubicles that served as the the staff room of the elementary school on Ogygia.

Yup, you heard that right. An elementary school.

In the end, the Council had agreed to follow Ophis' suggestion and sentenced Apollo to serve as a teacher of music, art and literature to the children of Ophis' subjects. A sentence that nicely kept him within Olympus' sphere of influence like Hermes and Athena brought up as being a good idea while exposing him to children like Hera and Demeter wanted and being something that all involved agreed was a suitably torturous punishment.

"What do you want?" Apollo greeted Ophis unhappily as she materialized in front of his desk in her favored child like guise without even looking away from his computer where he seemed to be be working on some worksheets.

"Is that how to greet your Aunt, Apollo?" Ophis asked with a pout.

"Considering you arranged for me to be sent to the worst possible punishment imaginable? Yes, yes it is." The surly temporary mortal informed the protogenos.

"Is this really that bad?" Ophis asked, genuinely curious. She'd known teaching was tough, it was part of the reason she'd suggested it. The Council wasn't likely to accept anything that let Apollo off easy after all.

"Worse." Apollo replied, still glued to his computer. "The work is unending. The hours are insane. And the hellions are unbearable."

Ophis laughed at that. "You sound like every other teacher."

"That's because I. AM. A. TEACHER." The mortal god said stressing, with a no small amount of pride, his current occupation.

"And a good one." Ophis said with a smile. "I've heard only good things from your students and their parents. Apparently you're incredibly good at your job and the kids love you."

Apollo just huffs in annoyance. "They're just saying that."

"Really? Then what's this?" The Great Serpent said as she placed a homemade meatloaf with an accompanying letter on the man's desk.

Pausing in his work, Apollo turned to examine what Ophis had delivered. "It's Kristy's mum's special recipe meatloaf. She has some for lunch at least once every week."

"Read the letter."

Frowning slightly at Ophis' commanding tone, Apollo nevertheless obliged.

"What does it say?"

"It's a thank you note from Kristy' mum. It asks me to not skip lunch so often and to eat better." Apollo tells her blinking away the beginnings of tears in his eyes. "But you already knew that didn't you? It's bad to read other people's letters, you know."

Ophis just shrugged and conjured some cutlery while Apollo began unwrapping the plastic wrap that the meatloaf had been packed in.

"I did nothing of the sort. Mrs. Boneclaw told me what she wrote. She wanted me to make sure you ate her gift for lunch today and to get you to eat lunch more regularly in general. She's worried about you."

"Since when did you become a mailwoman?" Apollo asked as he cut a slice of the meatloaf and put it on his plate.

"I just decided to do it this once since I was on the way to check on you anyways."

"Right." Apollo said disbelievingly as he dug into the food. "You sticking around?"

"Gotta keep my promise to make sure you eat properly, don't I?"

The rest of Apollo's lunch break passed in companionable silence as the man ate his meal under the watchful eye of his young aunt, who took the liberty to use her authority as the island's supreme ruler to scare away any colleagues that might have thought to disturb the overworked newbie teacher.

As the bell rang signalling the end of the break, Apollo quickly began putting away his food when Ophis stopped him.

"I'll handle that, you should get going."

With a thought, the cutlery and crumbs vanished while the leftovers flew into the staff pantry.

Apollo nodded and gathering his materials headed towards the staff room's exit.

"Good luck!" Ophis said with an enthusiastic wave.

"Don't need it! I'm awesome." The depowered god said with a smirk as he walked out.

_This was the best punishment for him after all._ Ophis noted even as she giggled at his antics and teleported away.

* * *

**Well, as you can see Apollo didn't get away scott free for the Gigantomachy after all.**

**Now, I betcha, some of you why the hell did the Council react** _**that** _ **badly to what Apollo did. For everyone but Zeus, it's mainly because they think Apollo did a lot more than just bring Ophis to a nightclub. They aren't sure what exactly happened (Riordanverse gods aren't wholly omniscient) and are basically extrapolating from what they could discover. They know Apollo and Ophis flirted while on a cruise ship and that they ended up in a nightclub. They know Ophis was behaving uncharacteristically 'adult' during that time. Well, combine that with a whole lot of overprotectiveness and they ended up thinking Apollo made a move on Ophis. Recall what was their response to a similar situation involving Hestia in _Greek Gods_? Yeah, their overreaction is pretty in character.**

**As for Zeus? He basically sees this as the chance to punish Apollo that he wanted but couldn't follow through on because of Ophis' interference. He finds it poetic that he can use Ophis as the excuse he needs to punish Apollo. Why he wants to punish Apollo when he already has his scapegoat in Ophis? Simple. He hates that Ophis outmaneuvered him and is happy to get his petty revenge any way he can. That and he is also somewhat outraged by what Apollo might have done too.**

**Why were the 'younger' Olympians so relatively silent? Well, when the elder gods are on the warpath would you want to put your neck out there?**

**As for Apollo's eventual punishment? Well, it's a homage to my own profession which while great at times can also very often be quite the punishment.**

**Anyways, that's it for this two short. Hope you guys stick around for more. I've got quite a few more shorts to finish off the Ophisverse.**

**Till next time. Peace!**


	3. A Fateful meeting

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 3: A Fateful meeting**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

As the day dragged into late afternoon on a nondescript farm in the rural Midwest, Ophis materialized onto the property and looked around for the group that she'd come to meet. Spotting the trio of old ladies that were the personifications of destiny sitting under the shade of a large tree knitting, the protogenos of Time and Space marched up to them.

"Fates," the primordial greeted frostily as she stalked within earshot.

"Ophis." The three old women cheerfully returned.

Deciding that there was no reason to beat around the bush, Ophis dispensed with the formalities and jumped straight to the point. "Why did you feed me those awful futures in my visions? Were you trying to force my involvement in the Gigantomachy?"

"Maybe. But those visions weren't lies were they?" Clotho said nonchalantly, clearly unfazed by Ophis' accusatory tone.

"They merely showed you some possible futures. Futures that as a destiny manipulator yourself you know could have become reality." Lachesis added without looking up from her needlework.

_I haven't used my Wishcraft in a long time. The potential consequences of using it are too great._ Ophis noted defiantly, even as she acknowledged the Fate's point.

Not that she'd say that out loud however as the Fates hated being interrupted when they took turns talking. It had been trying enough to get them to agree this meeting, she didn't want to imagine the hoops they'd make her jump through for annoying them.

_I've gotta pick my battles._

"All the visions _did_ was show you the most likely outcomes if you took no action." Atropos concluded with a toothless grin on her face.

"But you knew full well I _would_ intervene. I had too many reasons to do so that doing otherwise would have been foolish." Ophis countered. "So all those visions were nothing more than attempts by you to manipulate me through lying by omission!"

"So what?" Clotho asked dismissively.

"It worked to get you to step things up a gear, didn't it?" Lachesis pointed out just as unconcerned about Ophis' anger.

"Would you rather to have not intervened? Or done so with half the resolve that you did? Would you have liked to risk those visions coming true?" Atropos asked. Her tone was inquisitive but still she shot a chiding look at the young protogenos.

Ophis didn't come here to be lectured however and held her ground. Glaring back at the older immortals, she angrily retorted.

"Just because I like the outcome doesn't mean I appreciate being manipulated by you three. I am not your tool!" Her aura flaring slightly as her anger spiked.

The three Fates seemed honestly surprised at Ophis' reaction. The protogenos could imagine why. To the three, everyone whether god or mortal was technically their tools who they manipulated to fulfill whatever destiny that had chosen to weave into the tapestry of creation.

Ophis had even accepted and made peace with this fact at the end of the Second Titanomachy but she could not accept the blatant way in which the Fates had chosen to influence her this time. Perhaps she was just being petty but the blunt way they went about things made her feel used and to an extent even violated.

As the primordial's mind wandered, the Fates shared a look and seemingly exchanged a wordless conversation. At the end of which, they all nodded at the same time.

"We apologise, Ophis." Clotho said sounding sincere. "We did not intend to appear so callous."

"Could we make it up to you in some way?" Lachesis offered kindly.

"Anything you want that we can give you?" Atropos asked, her superior attitude replaced by an apologetic air.

Ophis blinked in surprise. She hadn't come here expecting anything more than an apology from the Fates. Something that she'd imagined she'd had to fight hard for. Instead, now she'd received that without much effort at all and was instead presented with the opportunity of some kind of recompense. Faced with the prospect, the Great Serpent was stumped.

"Err..."

"How about eternal happiness?" Clotho suggested helpfully.

"Or true love?"

"Maybe some timeless peace?"

They all sounded so cliche but they appealed to Ophis immensely. Plus they were essentially the only things that she couldn't obtain with her powers. If the Fates could really give her these things and was offering them to her…

She was tempted. Oh, so tempted.

"No," Ophis said in a soft voice. "Thank you, but no. That's all I'd ever want but it's not right for me to just receive those things. I won't undermine their value by having them gifted to me on a silver platter. I'll work on getting those things on my own."

Again the Fates exchanged a wordless conversation, before turning to Ophis.

"Then what do you want?" The three old women asked at the same time.

Ophis thought about it for a long moment.

_I might want to get all those things they talked about on my own merit… But there's nothing stopping me from asking for a little help along the way._

"How about a chance."

"A chance?" The Fates asked in unison.

Ophis nodded, even as she explained. "I'd like you to help me set up a chance. No more, no less. Just a chance for me to get all the things you offered me just now by my own effort."

The Fates considered this for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

"Deal!" The three old ladies said with toothless grins.

* * *

Looking down at the note that the Fates had delivered to her via Hermes Express earlier in the day, Ophis nervously reread it for the umpteenth time.

_Be at the Boston Public Garden at noon today and you'll get a chance at everything you've ever wanted._

_The Fates_

_P.S. Good luck!_

Tucking the note into a pocket of her dress, Ophis' powers told her it was 1150am. It was time to go. At that realization, she couldn't help but feel a tad lightheaded as hope at what lie ahead and worry that she'd screw it all up warred in her head.

Shaking her head to clear it and taking a steadying breath, the protogenos gave herself a final pep talk.

_I can do this!_

Feeling pumped up, Ophis teleported to the famous Boston park to await her destiny.

* * *

**Here you go guys. A short snippet this time. Hope you enjoyed it despite its underwhelming length.**

**So I ended this on a little bit of a cliffhanger, didn't I? So what do you think is the destiny that awaits Ophis in Boston? Let me know what you think in a review.**

**Well, that's it for this chapter. See you next time.**


	4. A day at work

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 4: A day at work**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

In her office on Ogygia, Ophis was having a meeting with her right hand woman Calypso.

"Is everything going according to plan?" The young protogenos asked.

"So far, yes." The sorceress acknowledged. "However with so many variables in place, we cannot be sure which group of Campers the target will be driven towards."

Ophis frowned at the latter admission. Nico and Will were out in New York City for a date today and with the operation in full swing, there was a chance they'd be caught up in it. She was strongly tempted to delay things to avoid that, but with the target already planning to leave the city their window of opportunity was closing and they needed to act now.

Her concern must have showed on her face, for Calypso looked at her with concern. "Perhaps we should postpone things?"

The Great Serpent shook her head. "No, we mustn't let this chance slip away. Go ahead with the plan."

Calypso nodded and teleported away to set things in motion.

Looking at her empty office, Ophis let out a sigh.

"This is all so troublesome." The divinity in the guise of a little girl whined as she leaned back in her chair. "Why did I ever bother with accepting this domain?"

* * *

It was late in the night in New York City and Nico was enjoying a quiet walk through Central Park with his boyfriend, Will Solace. The two were out on a date and had just finished watching a movie.

Having been born and raised in the relatively more conservative pre-war era, Nico sometimes still boggled at the fact that he was gay. Or how not only was it accepted but outright glorified by modern society.

If he'd been seen out having a romantic late night stroll with another guy back in the day, he'd likely been arrested or lynched. In contrast, as he walked alongside Will hand in hand, they were either ignored or treated like any normal person out with their significant other.

_I guess times really have changed, huh?_ The son of Hades mused with a smile.

"So Nico, liked the movie I picked out?" Will asked as they took a seat on a bench along the footpath.

"I did." Nico agreed. "I was surprised but it was actually pretty good."

"Yeah, I didn't believe it would be either when Piper suggested it. Never thought a chick flick could be that good."

"Piper knows her stuff when it comes to movies."

"Considering her dad, that's true." Will agreed as he inched closer.

Nico raised an eyebrow at him, but Will just smiled that patented dazzling smile that the children of Apollo were famous for. The son of Hades shook his head in amusement, but accepted the invitation and allowed himself to lean against his boyfriend.

Together they enjoyed the nighttime beauty of the park while luxuriating in each other's comfortable presence.

Again, it was the son of Apollo that picked up the conversation. "But you know what I liked most?"

"What?"

"Spending time with you."

Nico couldn't help it, that line was just too much and he burst out laughing. "Where did you get that line from? It's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard."

"Lily." Will confessed, blushing lightly.

"You used a line my toddler age niece came up with?" Nico asked incredulously, openly looking at his boyfriend like he was an idiot.

"Your goddess of a niece, but yeah, I know it was silly. Just wanted to try it out and see your reaction."

"You're a dork." Nico offered, as he pulled Will close. "An adorable one, but still a dork.

"I can live with that." Will said as he closed the remaining distance and the two kissed.

Pulling away a moment later, Nico smirked playfully at Will. "But you're my dork."

"Now who's being cheesy?" Will asked with a chuckle.

Before Nico could reply, a series of angry shouts from nearby caught their attention.

Sighing, and cursing their luck and heroic tendencies, they went to investigate.

It was fortunate thing they did, as walking past a copse of trees they spotted a situation that was right up their alley. Just ahead of them was a small and pudgy girl dressed in red sneakers, yellow tights, and a green tank dress. She had dark hair in a messy pageboy cut and black cat-eye glasses with rhinestones in the corners.

More importantly, she was being chased by a squad of ten humanoid monsters that only had a single oversized leg that ended in a massive foot that alone was as big as the rest of their body. They were dressed like stereotypical big game hunters complete with pith helmets and wore what must have been size forty boots on their gargantuan feet.

"Sciapods." Will hissed with distaste. Considering they'd fought with Gaea in the Gigantomachy, Nico very much shared his boyfriend's dislike of the monsters.

Thankfully, they were obscured from the monsters' view by the trees and had time to formulate a plan.

"I'll provide covering fire." Will assured, pulled his bow and quiver of arrows from the magical fanny pack Ophis had gifted him on his birthday. "Let's deal with these kangaroo men."

Nico just nodded as he drew his Stygian Iron sword.

"Go." Will ordered as he nocked an arrow and took aim.

Nico nodded and charged the Sciapods even as Will's arrows begin to fly overhead. Their sudden appearance seemed to catch the monsters by surprise and the son of Hades managed to blindside one of the human looking abominations. With little trouble, he slid his sword easily right between its eyes and into its brain before it had even finished turning to face him.

"The Ghost King!" One of the Sciapods called out, apparently recognizing Nico on sight.

"Glad to know I'm so famous." Nico said tauntingly while stepping backwards and out of the way of one of the Sciapods trying to stomp him into a bloody paste with its single massive foot. Something that earned the monster an arrow through its right eye from Will that reduced it to gold dust.

Taking a look at the crater it left behind, Nico thanked his quick reflexes. He wouldn't have survived being introduced to the sole of the Sciapods' oversized boots.

"Forgetting about me?" The girl said as she revealed a pair of curved sickle like blades of Imperial Gold, which she promptly used to great effect by cutting two of the Sciapod in half at the knee.

Even with their advantage disappearing, the surviving monsters weren't making things easy on them. They hopped to and fro while simultaneously creating minor tremors each time they stepped foot on the earth. This made it difficult for Nico to keep his footing, much less close into range of his sword. In contrast, the girl was having an easier time dealing with the earth shaking as she practically seemed to dance around the area while spinning her blades in deadly arcs. Unfortunately, despite her impressive skill the Sciapods were proving too agile for her.

They weren't however agile enough to evade the arrows fired by a son of Apollo and Will easily sent sent four more of the monsters back to Tartarus in a matter of seconds. This seemed to break their spirit and the remainder turned to flee.

"You're not getting away that easily." Nico muttered as he put away his sword and began shaping clumps of shadows all around him into javelins which he sent flying at the Sciapods. "Eat this!"

The men with the oversized feet reacted instantly. Falling to the ground, they raised their giant feet over their bodies to act as shields. Amazingly this seemed to work and while a handful of the shadow javelins and Will's arrows pierced their feet, they nevertheless survived the barrage.

Unfortunately for them, they seemed to have completely forgotten about the girl. Exploiting the vulnerable position the Sciapod were in, she spun towards them and diced two of them into gold dust in a single move. She turned to the last survivor who was just pushing himself to his feet and shouted, "Peaches!"

At her cry, a spirit that looked like a pudgy human toddler wearing only a linen diaper with green hair and eyes with dry, brittle wings like corn husks burst out of a cluster of trees and slammed into the recovering Sciapod. The big footed humanoid was bowled over and was too disorientated to defend itself as the creature that Nico recognized at last as being a karpoi literally began tearing the monster to pieces.

The moment the monster disintegrated into gold dust, the girl looked like she wanted to make a run for it but eyed Nico and hesitantly decided against it. In fact, she looked practically terrified while looking him.

_What's up with her?_ Nico pondered thoughtfully.

Will meanwhile walked over from the copse of trees where he'd been providing covering fire. The smirk he shot Nico as he did, spoke volumes about just how much he was going to lord it over him that he'd managed to kill more Sciapods than he had.

"So kid, who are you?" Will asked the girl kindly as he reached them.

The girl bit her lower lip for a long moment before sighing in resignation. "I'm Meg McCaffrey, daughter of Demeter."

"Demeter, huh? Wouldn't have guessed." Nico said sarcastically, eying the girl's karpoi warily as it glared at him and Will.

Will nudged Nico in the side for his rudeness before introducing himself. "Will Solace, son of Apollo. And this is Nico di Angelo, my boyfriend."

"The Champion of Ophis." McCaffrey breathed fearfully.

"That's not what other halfbloods usually call me, but yeah, that's me."

The girl recoiled in terror at the revelation and practically cowered behind her karpoi. Will shot him a look and Nico shut up with a shrug.

"Meg," The girl turned to Will as he kneeled down to be eye level with her and addressed her carefully. As if she was a scared little kitten. "You don't mind if I call you that, right?"

The girl shook her head.

"Good. Then mind telling me why you're so scared of Nico?"

"He's Ophis' brother."

"So?" Nico demanded angrily.

"She's the one who sent those bounty hunters after me. They've been chasing me for months!" The girl said before bursting into tears.

"Ophis would never do something like that." Nico said, his voice cold and full of malice. First, this girl had to interrupt his date by dragging them into a fight with a pack of monsters and now she had the gall to accuse his little sister of trying to have her killed!? Who did she think she was to go around spouting such nonsense?

McCaffrey took a terrified step back from Nico.

"Nico, enough." Will said, stepping between the other two demigods. "Meg, are you sure?"

The scared little girl just nodded.

"You can't believe her?"

"Not really," Meg looked ready to bolt at this, so Will hastily added. "But I think she believes it. Maybe it's a trick by one of Ophis' enemies?"

Nico nodded. That sounded a lot more reasonable than his little sister hiring monsters to hunt a halfblood down.

"Either way, we should take Meg to Camp."

"Camp Half-Blood?"

"That's right." Will agreed. "You'll be safe there. No bounty hunter will get past its wards."

The daughter of Demeter looked hesitant.

"Look, whatever is going on, you look like you've been on the run for quite a while. You could stand to get some rest." Nico told the girl. "You might not trust us, but if you know about Camp then you should know that your mum has a Cabin there. Surely, you trust that she can keep you safe?"

At the mention of her mother, the girl nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll go."

"Then take a hold of my arm," Nico said as he offered the girl his arm and Will slipped his hand into his.

Worrying her lip, the girl grabbed hold.

Not letting her waste more of their time second guessing her decision, Nico promptly called on the shadows around them to engulf them as he proceeded to Shadow Travel them back to Camp.

* * *

They were almost at their destination when suddenly a very familiar power reached into the shadows and kicked them out. They rematerialized in the physical world at the base of Half-Blood Hill, just outside Camp's borders.

"Ophis," Nico said sounding startled by what had happened.

As he said her name, his little sister appeared out of nowhere.

At the sight of her, McCaffrey screamed and immediately turned to run but froze in place after only a few feet.

"Ophis, what's going on?" Nico asked his sister warily.

"Nico, that girl was the adopted daughter of the Triumvirate member, Nero. She is a traitor to Olympus." The young protogenos informed them as she walked to stand right in front of the immobilized girl and glared into her eyes.

Nico blinked in surprise. McCaffrey was a servant, adopted daughter no less, of one of those wannabes? So that's why Ophis wanted her dead. Heck, if he'd known he'd have killed the girl himself.

"What's the Triumvirate?" Will asked, even as he eyed the frozen McCaffrey nervously.

"They were a trio of dead Roman emperors who escaped the Underworld and tried to become gods." Nico explained.

"And they did so by trying to engineer Olympus' destruction." Ophis added. "They bankrolled both the Titans and the Gigantes. They also killed many, many innocents. Half-blood and mortal alike."

Will's eyes hardened. "Are they still around?"

"No," Ophis said with a grim smile. "I've already dealt with them."

"What's she guilty of?" Nico asked pointing at the daughter of Demeter, curious as to what heinous crime had Ophis herself so invested in making sure she got what she deserved.

"She helped Nero lure in unsuspecting homeless demigods to either indoctrinate them into his service or more often so he could kill them. Furthermore, she has personally killed at least three demigods."

Will looked at the little girl in shock, while Nico eyed her with contempt.

Unlike his boyfriend, he wasn't the least bit surprised that McCaffrey was capable of that. She might be a little girl but Ophis was younger than her and had done worse to her enemies. _Then again, the comparison is unfair since Ophis is a protogenos._

"So you stopped us from taking Meg into Camp because she could be a threat?"

"Not directly." Ophis explained with a shake of head. "It's mainly because her crimes against Olympus are so heinous that she's been judged an enemy and Camp's protections will see her as such."

"They'll attack her." Nico reasoned. "And us, since we're traveling with her."

"But she's still a demigod." Will said, softly at first but his voice raising as his conviction in what he was saying grew. "She doesn't deserve to be hunted like an animal."

"I hate to say this, Ophis, but Will is right." Nico reluctantly agreed, "Mete out her punishment already."

"I would if I could." Ophis replied with her own frustrated frown. "Unfortunately, the Olympian Council is still debating what to do with her."

"If that's the case then why don't we just take her to Camp for now. If need be, we can keep her under guard."

Ophis considered this for a moment before nodding and teleporting them all next to Camp's central hearth.

"I'll go to Olympus and try to hurry the proceedings along." Ophis informed the boys. "In the meantime, keep an eye on her. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Both boys nodded.

"Good night, Big Brother, Will." Ophis said with a tired smile before teleporting away.

The moment she did, McCaffery unfroze and collapsed to the ground.

Looming over her with his sword drawn, Nico glared down at the girl. "You have some explaining to do."

* * *

And explain she did. Shortly after arriving back at Camp, Will and Nico had frogmarched McCaffrey to speak with Chiron. And somehow that ended up becoming a meeting of all the Head Counselors, who proceeded to interrogate Meg.

Who promptly corroborated everything that Ophis said, not that Nico thought there was any chance that his Little Sister was lying. She had however tried to save her own skin by claiming to be a victim of Nero too.

Apparently, he had separated her from her mortal father when she was very young and later killed him as punishment for her disobedience. After which he had proceeded to take her in and raised her as his own daughter. A relationship he used to manipulate her, make her believe she was at fault for her father's death, and taught her to see in her own words that 'the him when he was caring and the him when he was being cruel as two separate people' so that she would be loyal to the caring side while being afraid and cowed by his cruel side.

Some of the Counsellors were sympathetic after hearing her story. Most however were indifferent. As the Stolls pointed out, other demigods in similar situations would have died rather than allow themselves to become the enemy's pawn. Chiron had countered by reminding them that Meg was younger when she was subjected to these manipulations than most of those demigods. As it often did with such meetings, they ended up arguing back and forth about what to do with her for hours. In the end, it was decided that Meg would be under her Cabin's care for now but that she would be watched at all times.

The next morning, Nico and Will were heading to Demeter's Cabin to pick Meg up.

"Any idea when Ophis will drop by?" Will asked.

"Depends on when the Council makes a decision." Nico replied as they reached Cabin Four.

"Then let's hope they make up their minds soon." Miranda, McCaffrey's warden for the day, chimed in.

"Worried about your sister?" Will asked as the group headed towards the dining pavilion, the girl in question silent as the older halfbloods talked.

"Wouldn't you be?"

"I guess."

"Is that doubt, I hear?" Miranda asked incredulously. Nico and McCaffrey both shot the son of Apollo shocked looks as well.

"Well, it's just that I already have a sister who was in a similar situation." Will explained.

"Really?" Nico asked.

"Yeah, you've met her. Kaiya. She works for Ophis nowadays."

"What happened?"

"She has a serious hatred for Olympus. Something about dad getting her mum pregnant leading to a broken engagement and a gang war that left her whole family dead." Nico said, explaining what little he had learned about the girl's past. As a responsible Big Brother he'd done his best to look into the background of Ophis' troops as best he could, especially since many of them used to be their enemies. Though considering the sheer number of people in his sister's service nowadays, he didn't know as much as he liked when it came to most of them. Kaiya was a good example of that.

"Yeah, that's the gist of it." Will agreed. "That and she blames dad and Olympus for all of it. That's why even though she was claimed, she fought with the Titans."

"She's the Japanese girl with the crossbow isn't she?" Miranda asked, trying to think back to the Titanomachy.

Will nodded sadly. "She killed at least a half dozen Campers during the Battle of Manhattan alone."

"But Ophis took her in?" McCaffrey breathed in shock.

Nico nodded, equally shocked by this revelation.

"Then why can't she forgive me?" The little girl asked.

No one had an answer for her as they reached the dining pavilion and they split up to take their seats at their respective tables.

Nico was just sitting down next to Will - Chiron having waived the rule requiring him to sit at the Hades table after a little demonstration of what happened if he wasn't allowed to do so, namely an army of skeletons - when Ophis teleported into the pavilion.

Unsurprisingly, McCaffrey cowered at the sight of her. Everyone else just respectfully offered her a customary bow of respect while she walked to individually greet her friends and family.

Remembering the earlier conversation about Kaiya, Nico was less enthusiastic in his greeting with his sister than usual though he nevertheless gave her a welcome hug before she moved on to exchanging greetings with everyone she was close to.

With the greetings finished, Ophis stalked over to Meg with every eye in the pavilion following her.

A shivering wreck, McCaffrey was too afraid of her to speak.

Ophis didn't seem to care though and looked at her seriously.

"Margaret McCaffrey, daughter of Demeter. I am here to deliver the judgement of Olympus for your crimes."

The demigoddess gulped nervously, even as the Slayer of Gaea continued.

"As a final act of mercy, the gods have agreed to give you another chance. You are to stay at Camp Half-Blood and learn to be a proper hero and perhaps do enough good to outweigh your past crimes. If you refuse, I will personally make sure that you join your stepfather in his torment. What will you choose?"

"Camp." McCaffrey whispered fearfully.

"Swear it on the Styx!" Ophis demanded.

"I swear on the River Styx that I'll stay at Camp and train to be the best hero I can be!" The girl hurriedly said, causing the clear sky to thunder ominously as the magically binding Oath was sealed.

Satisfied, Ophis nodded and began saying her goodbyes.

Just as she was about to teleport away, she turned to McCaffrey a final time.

"One last thing, McCaffrey." The protogenos of Time and Space said in a serpentine hiss while her eyes glowed menacingly with power. "If you _ever_ hurt _anyone_ that I care about, I assure you that you'll suffer the worst fate that I can come up with."

With that Nico's Little Sister vanished.

His breakfast finished, and feeling a little curious, Nico decided to ask McCaffrey a question that had been bugging him.

"McCaffrey."

"Yes?" The girl replied warily.

"Why are you so afraid of my Little Sister?"

Adopting a thousand mile stare, she replied. "Ophis suddenly showed up at Nero's palace one day. Nero threw everything he had at her, but she shook it off as if it was nothing. Eventually Nero had me attack her too. I never stood a chance. The moment I confronted her, she shot a beam right through me."

She lifted up her shirt to reveal a massive scar that covered most of her stomach. Nico didn't flinch, he'd seen the aftermath of fighting with Ophis before and while impressive he'd seen plenty worse.

"After that, I could only lay there helpless as Ophis confronted Nero. He tried to beg for his life but Ophis ignored him. She then proceeded to…" Meg shuddered. "She snowglobed him."

Nico paled. He knew that the girl meant that Ophis trapped him in a time loop where she'd torture him endlessly. A fate she reserved for only those she considered her worst enemies.

Miranda, sitting next to McCaffrey and clearly eavesdropping, asked. "What does that mean?"

"You're better off not knowing." Nico told her with a shudder.

* * *

After leaving Camp Half-Blood, Ophis reappeared in her Ogygia office.

"Calypso, rescind the bounty on Meg McCaffrey." The protogenos ordered her personal assistant. "It's served its purpose and sent her to Camp Half-Blood."

"Are you sure it's wise to let her into Camp?" Calypso asked worriedly. "I know the Council agreed to give the girl a second chance, but there's no reason for her to have to do so where so many vulnerable half-bloods live."

"I understand the risks and am keeping a close eye on the girl." Ophis reassured the older immortal. "The Council made me the Goddess of Second Chances, not third chances. If McCaffrey cannot prove herself, if she does anything that threatens the other Campers, I will destroy her."

"That's alright isn't it, Big Sister?"

In response, Demeter materialized in the unoccupied chair in front of Ophis' desk.

"Thank you, Ophis."

The youngest daughter of Kronos just waved her hand dismissively. "Think nothing of it. I'm always happy to help family."

* * *

**And there's the loose end of Meg dealt with. I thought long and hard about how to deal with her and eventually concluded that Ophis would give her a second chance. As revealed when she hired Alabaster in Rise of a New Power it's something she's taken on as a calling of sorts. So by this point, it's been recognized by Olympus and she's been declared Goddess of Second Chances. Hence, the talk about domains. Lame way to reward the savior of the world, huh? Well, it's not like the Olympians could actually give her something worthwhile she doesn't already have so it's the thought that counts.**

**Sorry if the fight with the Sciapods wasn't too fun. I really should have planned it out more rather than just winging it. That said, it was an experiment in doing just that and while I don't really like the outcome I hope it's still at least acceptable.**

**Till next time. Peace out.**


	5. A chat with mum, kinda

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 5: A chat with mum, kinda**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

In a specially underground chamber under Ogygia, Ophis checked over the massive magical array she had ordered constructed. Something that she hoped would summon an avatar of her mother, the primordial Chaos.

Until recently the Great Serpent had not given her mother much thought. Instead she had been preoccupied with dealing with first her father, Kronos and then later her sister and brother, Gaea and Tartarus. That and building for herself a place within the world of the Hellenistic gods.

That however had changed when she had accompanied her Big Brother Nico as he and his boyfriend Will visited the latter's mother. The whole thing was a big thing for Nico, since it was Will introducing him to his family. As such, the son of Hades had asked Ophis to tag along for some moral support and to serve as a representative of his family. They had initially considered asking his father Hades to come too, but eventually decided to save that disaster for another day.

Meeting Will's mum, Naomi Solace, was an eye opening experience for Ophis. The woman was a great person and mother. She was kind to a fault and was incredibly caring towards her son and others. She easily accepted Nico into the family and treated Ophis wonderfully too. For the protogenos who had no true mother figures to speak of, it awakened in her a yearning for someone in her life to fill that void.

A yearning which ultimately led her here, where she would attempt to summon her mother and learn more about the enigmatic figure that was so important to creation but of which so little was known.

_I hope she's nice._ The daughter of Chaos earnestly thought to herself as she poured her energy into the magical array and it began to glow with her black and white power.

The light grew steadily in intensity as the array drained more and more of Ophis' energy, to the point that Ophis began to feel the first signs of exhaustion. Something that with her immense well of power, she rarely felt and which according to all the calculations she and her subordinates had carried out beforehand should not be possible. The protogenos was just considering cutting the connection and giving up on the project when the light of the array suddenly jumped in intensity and blinded her.

Cutting the flow of power into the array and blinking to clear the spots from her eyes, Ophis primed her powers to face whatever the array had summoned. With it behaving outside her calculations, it could be anything.

As her vision returned, the Protogenos of Time and Space laid her eyes on a gigantic cobra-like serpent. Its body was formed out of a reddish sandstorm that churned with chaotic energies and streaks of red lightning. On the cobra's crest there was a blazing Egyptian hieroglyph that her powers informed her read as Isfet or chaos. It had a mouth like a pink cavern with huge dripping fangs and red serpentine eyes that completed its fearsome appearance.

"Apophis," Ophis whispered in horror as she backed away from the Egyptian manifestation of chaos. She had heard that this particular aspect of her mother had recently descended into the mortal world and had come very close to destroying it, having only been prevented from doing so by the efforts of the Egyptian gods and the magicians of the Per Ankh.

Gathering her power, Ophis readied herself for the fight of her life.

"Calm down, sweet child." The cobra hissed, as soothingly as a gargantuan monster could. "I did not come here to fight you."

Ophis would be a fool to take that at face value and continued her preparations for battle by donning and strengthening her Dimensional Armor. Nevertheless, if Apophis wanted to talk first then she'd let him.

"If you don't want to fight, then why are you here?"

Offering a terrifying serpentine smile that showed off its immense fangs, the Dreaded One scoffed. "To visit my daughter of course!"

That gave Ophis pause. "M-Mother?"

The massive cobra nodded its head. "Indeed."

"But you're-"

"In my Apophis form?"

Ophis just gave a confused nod.

Its eyes twinkling with uncharacteristic mirth at Ophis' adorable behavior, the Serpent in the Dark explained. "This is the most recent of my many forms to have manifested on the mortal plane and so it's the form that I have adopted when I answered your call."

"So you're really my mother?" Ophis whispered in equal parts disbelief and longing.

Apophis responded by nodding and using her tongue to pat Ophis on the head. The affectionate action had Ophis blushing tomato red. She could not recall the last time someone had treated with such wholehearted affection. Not since she'd fully ascended into her full power.

The expectant look Apophis was shooting her was also making her shy in a way that she had never felt before. She had planned out so many questions when she was thinking up this scheme to meet her mother, but right now with her right there she couldn't for the life of her remember any of them.

Seeming to sense her distress, Apophis offered her an encouraging smile - which part of Ophis' mind idly noted would have looked terrifying to most beings - and decided to get the conversation going.

"How have you been doing, Ophis?"

"G-Great!" The protogenos managed to fight pass her nervousness to stammer out.

"That's good." Apophis nodded. "I'm always pleased to hear my children are doing well."

Ophis' stomach twisted into knots at that.

"Even when we go to war with each other?" The younger divinity asked hesitantly.

"You're talking about your recent spat with Gaea and Tartarus?"

Before Ophis could formulate a reply, Apophis waved its tail dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. I don't take sides when my children fight." The cobra's tone turned wistful as it continued, "Though I do wish they could get along better."

"I'm sorry." Ophis responded automatically to her mother's wish.

"It's not your fault." Apophis assured her. "I know all of you have your own agendas and sometimes they make you enemies with each other. It's unavoidable."

Ophis nodded even as she felt a little uneasy at the way her mother was describing the reasons why she had gone to war with her siblings. It was almost as if to Chaos, the fate of the world was little more than a minor disagreement.

Ignoring its daughter's discomfort, Apophis continued speaking. "I must compliment you though Ophis, your combat skills are superb. Your use of your powers are impressive but what I especially like is how you use your coils to crush your prey." The manifestation of Chaos eyed its form for a moment before continuing once more. "Though I suppose my current form might make me a tad bias there."

"T-Thank you." Ophis blushed furiously. She'd received plenty of compliments before, but getting some from her mother was somehow completely different. It felt a hundred times better!

Which is what made her dread asking the question she'd finally managed to remember. However, this question was very important to her. It was one that she had been determined to ask her mother the moment she had concocted the plan to summon her.

As such, taking a steadying breath, Ophis bravely asked her all important question.

"Um. M-Mum? Are you, um, okay with how I was born?"

"I was waiting for you to ask this question." Apophis said. "It's one of the big reasons why you summoned me, isn't it?"

"Yes," Ophis admitted with a blush.

Smiling at its daughter, Apophis replied. "Well then, I guess it's time I clear up some of your doubts. You see, your father-"

Ophis hissed angrily at the mention of Kronos.

Apophis shot her a comforting look but continued unabated.

"-was wrong. I was no unwilling participant in your conception. I actively helped in ensuring his spell worked. If I had not, it would have failed."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted another child, of course!" Apophis replied with sincerity. "And what a wonderful child you are, darling."

Ophis flushed at her mother's praise.

With her most important question out of the way, Ophis' nerves receded a little and the long list of questions she had been dying to ask her mother slowly began to come back to her. She was about to ask the first one, when the the chamber was suddenly lit up by a bright golden light.

Both Ophis and Apophis looked up to see the light came from a massive glowing Ma'at or order hieroglyph that had appeared out of nowhere and was hovering just below the ceiling of the cavern.

"The forces of Order are utterly without compassion, to allow a mother so little time with her daughter." Apophis hissed in annoyance even as its body began to collapse back into Mist in steady chunks.

Turning to Ophis, the cobra addressed her. "Ophis, you have made me truly proud."

"Thank you, mother." Ophis replied bashfully.

"Take care of yourself, daughter. I hope to see you again soon." Apophis said while offering her a smile, "Oh. And one more thing, make sure that lover of yours treats you well."

Blushing furiously, Ophis waved goodbye as the last of Apophis' body - his mouth stretched into one last teasing smirk - broke down into the Mist and the Ma'at hieroglyph disappeared.

_That went a lot better than I thought it would._ The young protogenos thought to herself happily as she stared at the place where her mother had last been.

She stood there for a long moment as she luxuriated in the confirmation that she had her mother's approval, until with a joyful smile she teleported out of the chamber.

Her smile would not fade for a full week.

* * *

**And Ophis finally meets her mum and gets closure for the mummy issues she never even knew she had. I know Ophis has many figures who attempt to fill the role of her absent mother, beings like Rhea, Calypso, Hestia, and even to an extent Fidi. However, these beings all have relationships with Ophis that complicate these efforts and make their efforts less effective than they could be. Overall, I'll say they do a decent job but cannot hope to truly fill Ophis' need for a mother. Hence, this little meet up between her and Chaos.**

**Hope you guys liked it.**

**As for Ophis' ever resolving her daddy issue… In her mind they were resolved when she scattered him to the edges of the universe, so I don't think so. At least not for the foreseeable future. Though perhaps at some point I'll come up with a scenario which might make it doable. We'll just have to wait and see.**

**Well, that's all for today. Till next time, peace.**


	6. Two great serpents have a chat

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 6: Two great serpents have a chat**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

Even from the beginning of her awakening as a protogenos, Ophis been aware of the other pantheons but they'd never featured prominently in her mind. She'd been too preoccupied with the wars with the Titans and then the Gigantes to really pay them any mind. However, now that those wars had been won, she found herself curious about them. A curiosity stoked by her recent encounter with her mother Chaos in her Egyptian form, Apophis.

Of all the beings in the other pantheons, there was one which fascinated her the most: Jormungand, the World Serpent. Like her, he was a snake. They also shared the fact that they, in their own way, encompassed the world. These similarities called out to her and she found herself unable to resist the urge to meet him.

Driven by this urge, one particularly uneventful day Ophis decided to drop by the bottom of the ocean to pay her fellow great serpent a visit.

As she materialized in the depths and caught sight of Jormungand's immense form, she couldn't help the gasp of awe she let out.

He was a gigantic serpent with scaled hide that glistened in a camouflage patchwork of green, brown and yellow. His ridged forehead and tapered snout made him look more like an eel than a snake, and his eyes resembled huge green spotlights the size of trampolines, while his irises glow intensely with a lime green light.

What struck her however was his size. He was as tall as mountains and as broad as the mightiest rivers.

_How can he maintain something that massive as his normal form?_

"Greetings Ophis," The great Norse serpent said as his eyes focused on her form as it floated in the depths. "Impressed by my size?"

"How?"

"I'm a creature of the apocalypse. We get a greater allowance when it comes to monstrous proportions. Just look at Typhoon." Explained with a serpentine smirk.

"Oh." Ophis said as she processed that. It made sense, apocalyptic creatures symbolized total destruction and thus would naturally have normal forms to reflect that.

"You know I've wanted to meet you for a long time." The World Serpent continued, seemingly ignorant to the way that Ophis was still gathering her wits. "Ever since I first heard about you, in fact."

"Hello Jormungand." The Hellenistic protogenos offered belated as she finally recalled her manners. "Really?"

"Of course! A new great serpent? Something like that would definitely spark my interest."

Ophis mulled that thought for a moment. She had to agree. If she heard about another great serpent coming into being, as one herself she'd be intensely curious about it and would probably do her best to find out more.

"So, mind showing me your true form?" Jormungand asked enthusiastically.

Smiling at her fellow snake, Ophis obliged and let herself be enshrouded in the golden light of a divine metamorphosis. As the light faded, it revealed her in her true glory. Her serpentine body made of an innumerable number of alternating lesser light sucking black and brilliantly glowing white snakes was complimented by a set of immense wings that stretched endlessly from her back. Her viper head with its pronounced fangs looked down on the other great serpent with expectation.

"Impressive." The World Serpent complimented. "The snakes for scales and the wings that stretch forever are cool. And unique."

"Thank you, Jormungand. Your form is awe inspiring as well."

"Don't I know it." The Norse serpent said with pride.

"Though I must ask," Ophis said, her curiosity getting the better of her. "How can you stand just sleeping at the bottom of the seas till Ragnarök? Wouldn't you want to surface once in a while to show off your form?"

"Sometimes." Jormungand replied with a laugh, before quickly sobering. "But I know it's my fate to be stuck down here till the end of the world and I've long since made my peace with it."

That struck a chord with the younger divinity.

"How do you manage that? I know we need to obey fate. I've seen the importance of that, but it's so hard!" Ophis whined.

"Indeed it is." The prophesied slayer of Thor agreed. "And I can offer you nothing that will make it easier. It is just something you'll need to learn over time."

Ophis sighed and her wings slumped a little as she muttered a disheartened reply. "That's what everyone keeps telling me."

"Because it's true."

"I guess. It doesn't make it any easier to hear."

"I guess not." Jormungand agreed sympathetically. "But enough of that, how about you tell me how it's like being a ruler instead?"

"Huh? Why would you be interested in that?"

"I'm a world-ending monster stuck at the bottom of the ocean." The World Serpent reminded her. "I don't get out much. Much less have any experience being something like a ruler, so I'm curious."

Ophis nodded. She could understand where he was coming from.

"Well, it's actually quite boring a lot of the time." The Queen of Ogygia confessed. "It's a lot of paperwork and dealing with petty things like disputes between subjects, drawing up rules, managing work schedules, organizing trade, etc."

"Sounds tough."

"It can be. I have the lives of all my subjects to consider when I make decisions, and that's scary sometimes. Thankfully, I have helpful assistants."

"That sounds a lot more complicated than I'd imagined." Jormungand commented. "I glad I don't have to deal with it."

"It's not all bad." Ophis countered. "It lets me do a lot of things I enjoy too. Helping people, making changes that make people's lives easier, things like that."

The Norse serpent hummed thoughtfully for a moment, before replying. "Still not my cup of tea, I think."

Ophis shrugged. "To each their own, I guess."

Jormungand nodded his head in agreement.

"So Jormungand mind answering a question of mine?"

"Shoot." The older serpent obliged with an encouraging nod.

"What's the Norse mythos as a whole like?"

"Well, generally speaking we're a quiet lot. The gods are all but absent nowadays while the giants are mostly too lazy to do anything to take advantage. They are just content to wait for Ragnarök to come along."

"Sounds nice." Ophis commented with a wistful sigh. "I wish my mythos was as laid back as that, I'm already tired of dealing with the politics and I've only been at it for a few years."

"Hey, don't make it sound so bad. At least you have a proper godly family to rely on." The elder serpent chided.

Ophis winced, recalling the dysfunctional family that Jormungand had and how in the face of it her own paled in comparison. For despite their bickering, at least the children of Kronos and the broader Olympians always stood united when times got tough. In contrast, her fellow serpent's parents had effectively abandoned him and his siblings to their fates.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Just never forget that there's always someone worse off than you."

Ophis nodded.

Before the conversation could continue, a rainbow formed right in front of Ophis' snout from which an image of Fidi appeared.

"My Lady, where are you?" Her faithful handmaiden asked. "You have a meeting with Zeus in a few minutes."

"I'd forgotten!" Ophis hissed. "Right. Just give me a minute and I'll be right there."

Dismissing the Iris Message, Ophis turned to her host. "Apologies Jormungand, but I have to make a move."

"Not a problem. Have a safe trip and treat my sibling well."

"You know?"

"It's the talk of the century among us Loki kin." Jormungand revealed with a teasing smirk. "We're all rooting for you, by the way."

"T-Thanks." Ophis stammered out as she literally glowed with embarrassment.

Smirking in amusement at her reaction, Jormungand shooed her along. "No problem. Now get going or you'll be late."

"Right. Bye Jormungand."

"Bye Ophis."

With that the Protogenos of Time and Space teleported away, leaving a thoroughly amused World Serpent to return to its endless slumber.

* * *

**Jormungand might seem a little OOC here. That's largely because I had so little to work on from canon. So I decided to just run with whatever came to mind and reason that his appearance in canon is an aspect of him when he's pissed and this encounter is when he's more mellow and dealing with someone more on his level rather than a pair of pesky insignificant demigods.**

**Now why do this short at all? Its whole premise was to have Ophis and Jormungand meetup to compare notes on being great serpents of myth. Any foreshadowing of Ophis' future romantic partner was purely unintentional. Really.**

**Well, by now I'm pretty sure most people have guessed who I've paired Ophis with but for those who still haven't figured it out it will be revealed soon.**

**Well till next time. Peace.**


	7. Ophis is the best boss

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 7: Ophis is the best boss**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

It was months after the defeat of Gaea and Ophis was finally getting around to tying up one of the most concerning loose ends that the Gigantomachy had brought up: Leo's soul consuming pyrokinesis.

She'd honestly should have done this a lot sooner but much to her surprise had not been able, despite Calypso's best efforts, to arrange a meeting with the son of Hephaestus. Which was quite the surprise, since the source of the difficulty had not been her schedule but his. In the wake of the war, the Counselor of Cabin Nine had been in high demand to help with the repairs to the various damages the war had created. Or at least that was the excuse he'd used every time she'd tried to arrange a meeting.

Finally though, Calypso had managed to convince her boyfriend to finally agree to see her employer. Much to Ophis' relief. If this had dragged out any longer she'd seriously be worried about Leo and might even have gone to drastic lengths to get him to show up. She was thankful that she didn't need to check and see if she could get away with sending Campers on a quest to kidnap one of their own so she could have a talk with him.

"So, um, Lady Ophis, you err wanted to speak to me?" Leo said as he shifted in his seat nervously.

Ophis frowned a little at this. "Leo, why are you afraid of me?"

He shot Calypso, who was seated in the chair across for him a pleading look, but she just smirked and shook her head.

Looking betrayed, he replied. "You promise you won't get mad and vaporize me?"

The Great Serpent just blinked in confusion. Why would he even think that she'd do something like that?

"I promise."

"Well, it's because you _are_ scary! Like the scariest person I've ever met. You defeated Gaea!" The son of the forge rushed out before paling. "Please don't kill me."

Ophis for her part just blinked in shock at what he'd said. Did the Campers all think that about her? Was she their new boogieman?

"I'm not that scary, am I?" Ophis asked Calypso pleadingly.

"Not usually." The nymph assured her. "But you can be and Leo saw that firsthand quite a few times. That and lately he's been paranoid about all his sass with the gods catching up with him."

"Why?"

Leo shivered and refused to explain, so with a sigh Calypso did it for him.

"Something Percy said when they were chatting one day, about how gods have long memories." The sorceress said with a dismissive air. "He gave examples too, like Ares' curse for beating him. Things like that."

"I see." Ophis said slowly as she thought of a way to ease Leo's mind a little. Turning to the son of Hephaestus, she offered him a smile. "Leo, look at me."

The boy obeyed immediately.

"There's no need to be afraid of us gods, alright. We aren't going to hold a grudge against you forever. Most of the time anyways."

"And what about the times that you do?"

Ophis shot him a dangerous smirk. "Then you pray to your friends. Like me."

Leo's eyes widened as what Ophis was saying sank in. She was basically offering him her protection, even against reprisal from the other gods. Considering just how powerful and influential Ophis was, this was a boon that was incredibly valuable.

"T-Thank you, Lady Ophis."

"It's nothing." Ophis said waving his thanks away. "I just hope that it helps to set your mind at ease. Has it?"

"A little."

"Good, then we can get down to business."

Leo nodded and Calypso offered him an encouraging smile.

"So I'm just gonna get straight to the heavy stuff, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead." Leo said with a nod, even as he gulped nervously.

"Leo, your pyrokinesis is killing you." The boy's eyes widened in disbelief at that, but Ophis ignored it for now and pressed on. "It directly feeds on your soul, that's why it's so powerful. Powerful enough even to burn gods like Khione. But if you use too much of it-"

"It will literally consume your very soul!" Calypso gasped in horror.

"Calypso, this is for real?" The boy asked, seemingly shocked by his girlfriend's reaction.

The nymph nodded shakily. "It makes sense and if Lady Ophis says it's true then it has to be."

"But it's my power, why would it hurt me?" Leo asked, his face pale.

"Some just do." Ophis offered comfortingly.

"So what do I do now?" A lost sounding Leo asked. "Stop using my pyrokinesis?"

"That's one solution." Ophis said even as Calypso nodded. "But not a perfect one. Your pyrokinesis is linked to your emotions. So in order for you to stop using them entirely and prevent further harm to your soul, you'd need perfect control over your emotions. Can you honestly say you'd ever manage that?"

Leo shook his head despairingly. "So I'm gonna die?"

"My Lady, there has to be another way!" A distraught Calypso begged.

"Both of you, calm down." Ophis told them both sternly, using just a tint of her power to force them to obey. "I didn't call Leo here without a workable solution."

"So what is it?" Leo asked hopefully.

"Immortality. Unlike a mortal's, an immortal's soul will recover over time whereas normal souls won't without going through the cleansing of death. So if you became immortal-"

"Leo's powers wouldn't be able to kill him." Calypso concluded, with a delighted look on her face.

"Um. Sorry to point this out and burst the happy bubble," Leo said hesitantly. "But isn't it, I dunno, super difficult to become immortal?"

Ophis was confused by his response. Surely, he would have known by now the standing opening he had to achieve immortality. "Calypso, you haven't told him yet?"

"Not yet," The nymph admitted, sounding sheepish. "I didn't want to cloud his judgement when he makes the choice."

"Considering what I've just told you, do you think that's still wise?"

Calypso merely chewed her lower lip nervously.

"Ladies, mind cluing me in on what you are talking about?"

"Tell him." Ophis coaxed her assistant.

The daughter of Atlas shot her mistress a worried look, and Ophis just gave her an encouraging nod.

Taking a fortifying breath, Calypso turned to Leo. "Leo, actually there's one easy way for you to become immortal."

"There is? Tell me."

"Yes, there is." The sorceress said while taking another breath before plowing ahead. "All you'd need to do is marry me."

"Marriage!?" Leo shouted, jumping to his feet. "I'm only seventeen!"

"Which is a more than an acceptable age to get married in Ancient Greece." Ophis informed him.

"We're not in Ancient Greece!" Leo countered indignantly.

"But we are Greek."

Before Leo could retort, Calypso cut in.

"So you don't want to marry me?" She asked, sounding on the verge of tears.

"No! I mean yes! I mean yes, I'd love to marry you!" Leo stumbled over himself to reply.

"Really?" Calypso asked, sounding more vulnerable than Ophis had ever heard her being.

"Of course!" The son of Hephaestus replied immediately.

"Then let's get married."

Leo hesitated for only a moment before nodding.

Smiling brilliantly, Calypso pulled the boy into a deep kiss.

Smirking in satisfaction at a job well done, Ophis teleported out of her office to give the lovebirds a chance to celebrate their engagement.

* * *

A few hours later, Ophis was in her bedroom in her Waldorf Astoria suite looking at a scene featuring a petite young girl in boy's clothing having lunch in a park playing on her television with a content smile on her face.

She was interrupted however by a knock on the door.

Having expected her visitor, Ophis switched the TV off with a wave of her hand as she called for the person to enter.

"Evening My Lady," Calypso greeted as she walked in and closed the door behind her.

"Hi Calypso," Ophis returned the greeting. "Everything went well?"

"Of course it did. How could it not when you had set things up so perfectly?" Calypso accused her employer playfully.

"I admit to nothing." Ophis replied with a smile. "But I'd glad that now you can stop going around complaining about how Leo doesn't seem to understand the concept of commitment."

"I wasn't that bad." Calypso defended herself with a blush.

"Nope," Ophis agreed with a shake of her head. "You were even worse."

Calypso groaned, even as Ophis giggled at her.

"Regardless, My Lady. Thank you." Calypso said as she hugged the protogenos.

"No thanks are necessary, Calypso." Ophis said earnestly as she returned the hug. "Playing matchmaker is the least I could do for one of my best friends."

They stayed in a hug for a moment, before Ophis pushed her assistant lightly. "Go back to your fiancé, Calypso. I'm sure you two have plenty to talk and plan."

Blushing at the thought of her wedding day, Calypso nodded and turned to leave.

As she opened the door, she turned to Ophis one last time and mouthed thank you. Ophis just smiled and made a shooing motion.

Once Calypso left, Ophis turned back to the television and with a thought turned it back on. On its screen was once again the image of the petite girl. Watching the figure displayed before her, the Great Serpent couldn't help the look of longing that spread across her face.

* * *

Calypso and Leo's wedding was a grand affair. At Ophis' order the whole of Ogygia was transformed for the occasion. It was festooned with garlands, banners and all manner of decorations. A festival date was declared and celebrations swept across the island.

The Hesperides, Calypso's sisters, served as her bridesmaids. Ophis was offered a spot but had declined and chose instead attend as a guest. Calypso had been trying to mend the strained relationship with her family ever since she had been freed from Ogygia and this was one of the best opportunities to do so. Ophis was not going to butt in and get in the way of that.

As a favor to Ophis, Hera herself as goddess of marriage officiated the event. This gave the ceremony a weight that transcended any mortal ceremony. A fact that the happy couple appreciated even as the groom paled at the implications.

The list of star studded guests included Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Calypso's grandfather Bob, her mother Tethys, her granduncle Koios, the depowered Apollo and the other members of the Seven Heroes of Olympus along with most of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. Even Zeus was present, though he was there only because Hera had forced him to accompany her. And of course, Ophis and her family.

Thinking back on it at the reception, Ophis couldn't help but be pleased with how everything had turned out. It had truly been a wonderful ceremony.

"Ophis," Aphrodite greeted the ruler of the Phantom Isle.

Looking at her Ophis felt a pang of longing as she noted the form she appeared to her as. She had the guise of a petite young woman with sharp and beautiful facial features and a sly grin. One of her eyes was a dark brown and the other was a pale amber, and her hair was dark at the roots but dyed green. She was dressed in a pink-and-green argyle sweater-vest over a white tee, skinny lime green jeans, and battered rose high-tops. Tied around her waist like a kilt was a cashmere sweater.

The jester like form she wore was an odd appearance for the usually elegant Lady of the Doves, but considering the feelings it invoked in Ophis it was quite deliberately chosen. Not that she was about to give the goddess the satisfaction of knowing that.

"Aphrodite." The protogenos greeted coolly.

If the daughter of Ouranos noticed the cold tone, she ignored it and continued speaking in a cheerful voice.

"Congratulations on playing matchmaker."

"I just gave them the final push." Ophis deflected. "You were the one who made the biggest contribution by having them fall in love in the first place."

"True. True." The goddess giggled like a schoolgirl. "Let's call it a joint effort."

"Whatever you say." Ophis said distractedly as she spotted the happy couple dancing gracefully on the dance floor. Leo had put in hundreds of hours of practice to ensure he wouldn't embarrass his wife and it showed as he led her through a waltz with a level of skill that left his friends thunderstruck.

Having been privy to Leo's efforts, Ophis was just glad that they had paid off. And thankful that Apollo was such a good teacher. The things she'd heard from his first few lessons were the stuff of nightmares.

As pleased as she was however, she couldn't stop the wistful sigh at seeing Leo and Calypso dance in each other's arms radiating love and joy.

Aphrodite patted her arm, and Ophis turned to her and noticed the reassuring smile she sported on her new form. In the instant when her focus had been on the couple of the hour, the goddess of love had given up on her taunting earlier guise and shifted into a breathtakingly beautiful woman with dark chocolate curls and eyes that sparkled playfully, going from green to blue to amber. She was dressed like a Southern belle: her gown had a low-cut bodice of pink silk and a three-tiered hoop skirt with white scalloped lace, and she wore long white silk gloves and held a feathered pink-and-white fan to her chest. Her face was hard to describe as her features seemed to shift from those of one glamorous movie star to another, becoming increasingly beautiful as it changed by the second.

Despite the feelings of inadequacy in regards to her own looks that this stunningly beautiful form stirred in Ophis, the protogenos felt infinitely more comfortable with this than her niece's previous choice.

"You really shouldn't be so worried." The goddess told her giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You'll be with your little Argr soon enough."

Ophis stiffened. "Aphrodite, how do you know?"

The older woman just smiled. "Didn't you know? We love goddesses have our own little gossip circle. Freya told me everything."

"Why do I even bother keeping anything secret?" Ophis said with a frustrated sigh.

"To make things spicy. Duh." Aphrodite said, unbecomingly adopting the mannerisms of the stereotypical bimbo. "That and to make sure your brothers don't do something stupid."

The Great Serpent just groaned. Her brothers would totally do that wouldn't they?

"Chin up, Ophis." The goddess said while using her fan to force the girl's chin up. "You have fate and love on your side. Nothing can go wrong."

_I hope she's right._

* * *

**Apologies to Leo fans. I can't really write him. Just can't get into his headspace and write him like Riordan does. That said, I asked my friend E4E to look it over for me so hopefully he edited it to make it passable.**

**And so Calypso and Leo are married. Sorry to the folks who wanted me to narrate out the whole wedding. That's not really my forte, so I jumped right pass it and settled on a summary instead. Hope that isn't too much of a problem.**

**On another note, by now most people should know who I'm shipping Ophis with. But if you don't, I'm happy to announce that the answer will be revealed in the next chapter. Look forward to it.**

**Till then. Peace.**


	8. Ophis gets a girl… err… boy… err… lover

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 8: Ophis gets a girl… err… boy… err… lover**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

Taking a seat on a bench in Boston Public Garden, Ophis nervously waited for the meeting that the Fates had promised would reshape her destiny. Her eyes and senses, both human and mystical, searched the park for anything that might fit the bill. She scrutinized everything and everyone that came within her range down to their very soul. Invasive perhaps, but in her excitement Ophis didn't care.

Thankfully, she did not wait long as she saw a petite boy in dirty pink slacks, a bright green shirt and dyed green hair sit down on a bench slightly further along the path. The moment she'd sensed him, her eyes had been glued on him. All her senses had. His mere presence sent the nerves she'd been actively fighting into overdrive. Her heart rate spiked and her mind was filled with heady anticipation as she felt the thick thread of destiny that bound them together.

Slipping off her bench, it took a formidable exercise of will not to skip to his side and to keep a steady normal gait. That was why it was only as she got close that she noticed how he was looking hungrily at a family having a picnic on the grass a few feet from his bench.

_An opening!_

"Hello there!" Ophis greeted cautiously. As over the moon as she was, Ophis still retained enough of her wits to know that she couldn't rush things.

"Um. Hi." The boy replied cautiously, as if assessing whether Ophis was a threat.

The protogenos was almost affronted. Like she'd _ever_ be a threat to him. But in her giddiness, she let her annoyance at his lack of faith in her slide.

"Whatcha doing?" Ophis asked, playing up the childish curiosity that she knew from experience she often radiated. Even if she was currently wearing a form that was more teenager than child. "You look interesting, so I wanted to know."

The boy looked at his outfit for a moment before muttering quietly under his breath, "I guess my clothes are a little strange-"

"Interesting." Ophis insisted with a smile. "It's not strange at all. It's interesting."

"If you say so." The boy said blinking uncertainly.

"So, what are you doing? You never answered."

"Um…" The boy replied, still looking nervous.

Resisting the urge to pout, Ophis wracked her brain for some way to put him at ease.

"Oh!" The girl gasped. "I forgot to introduce myself! My name's Ophis. Ophis Devin."

"That's an interesting name."

"Thank you." The Great Serpent said, preening at the way the boy liked her name. "What's yours?"

He hesitated for a moment, before seemingly deciding to take a gamble and stuck out his hand. "Alex Fierro. It's nice to meet you."

Ophis shook his hand with an ear splitting grin. _I'm touching him! I'm touching my destined one!_

"It's wonderful to meet you, Alex."

Just then Alex's stomach growled. It wasn't too loud, but it nevertheless brought a blush to the boy's face. From peering into Alex's soul when she'd first spotted him, Ophis knew that he hadn't had anything to eat in a while. Not since he'd made it to the city the day before after running away from home.

"Sorry about that." Alex said with a blush as he withdrew his hand.

Ophis just smiled prettily and shook her head, before replying. "You sound hungry. Want to grab lunch together."

Alex fidgeted slightly, obviously tempted but still too prideful to accept a stranger's generosity. Or possibly fearing that he'd be taking advantage of Ophis.

_Considering what I'm doing and plan to do with you,_ I'm _the one taking advantage._ The protogenos noted with a smirk she concealed by pulling off her backpack and starting to pull out a large container full of sandwiches that Fidi had specially prepared for her. All while visions of her possible future with Alex flashed through her mind.

"Ophis, it's, um, okay. I can get my own-"

"Don't worry about it." Ophis insisted by pushing the large tub of food at Alex. "My guardian packed _way_ too much. I can't finish all of it."

Alex looked down at the large plastic container stacked to the brim with sandwiches and Ophis' own slim figure before nodding. Ophis was by no means pencil thin, her current form looked like a girl in her early teens, roughly fourteen or fifteen. But her figure had always slanted to the thin side of the spectrum and more often than not made people, her friends and family especially, urge her to eat more. That or think she was not much of a big eater.

"I can see that. So you'd like me to help you finish it?"

"If you'd like." Ophis offered as bashfully as she could manage. "I mean, then we could keep talking. I like talking to you."

Again Alex looked between the box of sandwiches and Ophis, before sighing and popping the container open with a nod.

"Thanks for the meal, Ophis."

"Yay!" The Great Serpent cheered at having gotten her way. "Tuck in!"

Smiling at her enthusiasm, Alex obliged. His eyes boggled as he tasted the literally divinely prepared goodness that was Fidi's sandwiches.

"This is good!"

"I know right! Fidi's cooking is incredible."

Alex nodded in agreement. "Fidi's your guardian?"

"Yup!" Ophis agreed as she took a sandwich of her own.

"She let you wander the park alone?" Alex asked suspiciously.

"Not usually." Ophis said as she fidgeted and tried to come up with a convincing cover story. Getting an idea, she lowered her voice to a whisper and continued. "You can't tell anyone ok? But I snuck out of the house today while she was at work."

"It's our little secret." Alex promised with a conspiratorial smirk.

"Thanks." Ophis said genuinely. _I'm so glad you actually bought that._

"So why are you living with a guardian?" Alex asked cautiously a few moments and a half dozen sandwiches later. "That's if you don't mind me asking!"

Pulling out a thermos of tea, Ophis offered it to him and shook her head to indicate it was fine.

_How could it not be? You're my destined_ one _!_ Ophis thought to herself with a mental laugh, still giddy over that fact.

"Well, it's a little complicated."

"When isn't it?" Alex said without thought as he took a sip from the tea, before abruptly paling as he realized what he'd said.

Ophis giggled at Alex's reflex response. It might have been impolite considering their brief acquaintance and the serious topic she was sharing, but the protogenos didn't mind. That Alex was relaxed enough to forget his manners and respond like that proved that he felt their connection too, subconsciously if nowhere else. That it was making him more comfortable with her than he otherwise would be.

"True," Ophis said with a smile to indicate to a paling Alex that she didn't mind his faux pas. Before he could apologize, she barreled on. "Well, as I was saying, it's complicated. You see my _Father_ -"

Ophis said the word with all the hateful spite she could manage, which was significant enough that Alex flinched. Though she was glad to note he did so sympathetically. Considering his history, he _would_ be able to sympathise wouldn't he?

"-only had me so he could use me as a tool."

Alex sucked in a breath at that as he undoubtedly thought back to his relationship with his mother.

"Calling it a bad relationship would probably be the understatement of the century. So since my mum was indisposed."

"What happened to her?" Alex asked softly his hand drifting close to Ophis' own as if hesitant to close the distance. Ophis had no such qualms and grabbed a hold of his. He was surprised for an instant but that passed quickly and he was soon giving her a comforting squeeze.

"Mum's in a coma." Ophis said looking away, as she let the surge of genuine sadness at her inability to have regular contact with her mother wash over her.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Alex told her sincerely while giving her hand another comforting squeeze.

"It's fine." Ophis reassured him. "I've gotten over it."

Alex didn't look convinced but didn't press.

"So since Mum was not able to take care of me, Fidi took me in. She's been taking care of me for a few years now."

"Is she nice?" Alex asked, full of concern.

"Fidi's the best!" Ophis told him with confidence.

"Glad to hear that."

The two teenagers let a companionable silence settle over them for a few minutes after that as they ate their meal, their hands still clasped. Alex was busy processing what Ophis had shared, while the girl was happy enough to just be sitting there with him and felt no need to breach the silence.

It was therefore no surprise that it was Alex that broke their reverie.

"Thanks for sharing that with me, Ophis." He told her with a grateful smile. "It couldn't have been easy."

Ophis shook her head. "It's ok. It's with you, after all."

Alex seemed taken aback by this but recovered quickly. "You're feeling strangely comfortable with me too?"

Ophis just nodded, not trusting herself to not blurt out the truth if she spoke.

"Is this the working of the Norns?" Alex whispered so softly that a normal human wouldn't have been able to hear. "What does this mean?"

Playing along, Ophis pretended he said nothing and waited patiently as Alex gathered his wits. It took a few minutes but he eventually seemed to come to some kind of conclusion.

"Ophis."

"Yes?"

"You shared something really personal with me just now, so I guess it's my turn to return the favour." Alex said nervously.

"You don't have to."

"I know, but I want to." He assured her or was it himself? Considering the deep breaths he was taking, probably both.

Either way, Ophis just waited for him to continue.

"I don't know if you've realized it yet, but I'm a runaway."

Ophis gasped obligingly and began questioning him as if she didn't already know everything. "What happened?"

Alex blinked in surprise as if he'd been expected that she'd be repelled by that. _Silly Alex._

"Got into a big argument with my father. He ended up kicking me out of the house because I didn't conform to what he wanted."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Ophis said genuinely.

Alex just shrugged. "It would've happened sooner or later. He wanted me to be one thing and I wanted to be another, and neither of us were willing to back down."

"It still hurts, right?"

Alex said nothing, just looking off into the distance. It was Ophis' turn to give his hand a comforting squeeze. He shot her a grateful look for that and she returned it with a smile.

Their conversation shifted to more mundane topics from then on. Interesting sites in Boston and the like. Ophis pulled heavily on her powers to help her fill in her gaps of knowledge about the city and just barely managed to pull through the conversation without seeming suspicious. At least she hoped she had.

They talked well into the late afternoon, when Ophis finally decided it was time to leave. It was starting to get late and as reluctant to leave Alex as she was, she had to or risk blowing her cover.

"Alex, it's getting late." Ophis told him regretfully. "I need to get going. Fidi will be home soon."

Alex pouted, making him absolutely irresistibly handsome to Ophis, and nodded. "You'd better hurry then. Don't want you getting into trouble."

Still stunned by his devastating pout, Ophis dumbly nodded even as she began packing up the container and thermos.

Once done, she stood up.

"You want me to walk you home?"

Ophis bit her lip. She _really_ wanted to spend more time with Alex but she knew she couldn't.

"It's okay. I know the way and it's not far from here."

He looked a little crestfallen at that and it broke Ophis' heart a little to see that, but she steeled it and offered him an apologetic smile.

"Afraid of the neighbors seeing us?" Alex said snarkily, a hint of anger in his eyes.

"And telling my dad." Ophis lied, hoping it would assuage him. She didn't want Alex angry at her.

It worked like a charm and Alex deflated. "That would look bad on Fidi, wouldn't it? You dragging random homeless kids home."

Ophis nodded, even as she hated herself for the lie. No matter how necessary it was.

"Well, then I guess this is goodbye." Alex said sounding so sad that Ophis had to fight the urge to hug him.

"We'll see each other again. I promise." Ophis told him even as she slipped her backpack on.

"We'll see." Alex replied doubtfully as he offered her a wave.

Ophis returned it and turned to walk away.

She waited until Alex was out of sight before she let the tears at their separation fall.

"I'll see him again." Ophis told herself even as her shoulders began shaking with sobs. "I-It's fated."

That was little comfort in that moment as she sank to her knees and bawled at the loss of her destined one's presence by her side.

* * *

Two years after first meeting Alex, Ophis sat in a cafe in downtown Boston waiting impatiently for their next meeting. It had been weeks since she'd last seen her beloved and the Great Serpent was anxious beyond words to see him/her again. Especially after all the life changing turmoil that Alex had went through recently.

Exactly two minutes later, just as the Fates had promised her, Alex wandered around the corner of the street the cafe was located along.

"Alex! Over here." Ophis in a teenaged guise called out loudly as she stood up from her seat and waved both her arms excitedly to flag the currently female einherji down.

The cafe's other patrons look startled at Ophis' display for a moment, but a subtle nudge in their minds to pay her and her companion no heed had them turning away. Sometimes telepathy just rocked!

"Ophis?" Alex asked in surprise as she walked over. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting some coffee." Ophis replied with a playful grin while gesturing to her cup of aforementioned caffeine goodness. "You?"

Sliding into the seat across from Ophis and prompting the protogenos to retake her own seat, the child of Loki shrugged. "Just snuck out of this new place I'm staying at on my own for the first time."

"Stuck out?" Ophis asked with an exaggerated sigh. "Alex!"

"Hey, it's basically a rite of passage where I'm staying." The green haired girl said defensively, crossing her arms over her modest bust.

This drew Ophis' attention to Alex's form and she noted that she was dressed in the outfit that Aphrodite had morphed into back during Leo and Calypso's wedding. But while the love goddess adopting this form made Ophis upset, seeing Alex sporting the pink-and-green argyle sweater-vest over a white tee, skinny lime green jeans, and battered rose high-tops and cashmere sweater tied around her waist just had her blushing as her mind ran wild with the idea of getting her out of the outfit.

Alex smirked, clearly guessing at her thoughts even as she raked her own dark brown and pale amber eyes over Ophis' form. In her teenaged guise, the protogenos looked much like she did as she had as a child only slightly aged up. She had the beginnings of a supermodel figure and her aristocratic features were nicely accentuated by her waist length hair.

"You're rocking that schoolgirl look, Ophis." Alex informed her with a lascivious smirk.

This sent a thrill of pleasure up the protogenos' spine. It seemed all her effort had paid off. In their last meeting, Alex had offhandedly commented that it was a shame that Ophis was homeschooled because she'd love to see Ophis in a school uniform as she'd definitely make it look incredible. Acting on that, Ophis had went out of her way to dress up for this meeting in a simple white blouse, a A-line skirt, stockings, Mary Janes and a blazer. She'd even made sure that her clothing were all a size too small so as to especially emphasize her already impressive figure just a bit more.

Blushing prettily, Ophis smiled back just as heatedly. "Thank you."

"Still, please tell me you haven't been wearing that the whole time since we last met?"

"Nope. Just for today."

"Then it must be my lucky day."

"Either that or it was fated."

Both young women laughed at that.

As they settled, Ophis couldn't help herself as she muttered under her breath. "If not I'd have a stern talking to with the Fates and the Norns."

"What did you say?" Alex startled, looking shocked.

_Oh crap! Totally forgot that einherji get their senses enhanced._

"I was just joking!" Ophis said while trying to play it off with a teasing smile.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief and Ophis gave herself a mental pat on the back.

"Seriously, Ophis, your jokes suck." The shapeshifter replied, relaxing after the scare.

"I'll have you know that most people think I'm hilarious."

"And who's 'most people'? Fidi? 'Cos newsflash, Ophis, your guardian ain't objective."

Ophis just pouted at the jab and swatted Alex's arm playfully. "Hush you."

"Okay. Okay." Alex replied in between giggles. "So how've you been?"

"Busy." Ophis revealed with a sigh. "One of the regents that was managing mum's estate just had a baby, so had to step down. I'm happy for her but thanks to that I've more on my plate than ever."

"You're what sixteen?" Alex asked with a quirk of her eyebrow. "Why do you need to handle all that stuff?"

"I don't. Not really." Ophis explained. "But it's training you know, for when I get my majority. Fidi is guiding me along."

Alex nodded in understanding. Even if she'd renounced her privileged upbringing, she still knew enough about how things worked in their circles to see how things might work out like that. Of course, she didn't need to know that Ophis was obscuring the truth of her situation behind misdirection and outright lies. She didn't need to know, yet, that the friend she thought was mortal was actually the divine ruler of a major faction in the Hellenistic mythos.

"So what about you? You mentioned you've moved into a new place?"

"Yup." Alex agreed. "It's _interesting_."

Ophis blushed at her friend using the same description she'd insisted on using two years ago when they'd first met to describe Alex's eccentric choice of clothes.

"In what way?"

Alex fidgeted nervously at that question, clearing trying to come up with some way to describe Hotel Valhalla without giving away that it was one of the Norse afterlives and that she'd become one of Odin's immortal warriors.

"It's full of adventure." The daughter of Loki replied finally.

"That's good, I guess. But do they accept you for what you are?"

Alex breathed a sigh, apparently relieved Ophis wasn't pressing him on more details about Hotel Valhalla.

"They're surprisingly cool about it."

"Really?"

"Yup." Alex reassured her. "There's a few people who are uncomfortable, but they're mostly cool about it."

"I'm glad." Ophis tells him genuinely.

"Yeah, me too." Alex confesses. "But enough about the heavy stuff. You've seen the latest Disney movie yet? It looks great!"

With that the conversation between the two friends shifted to more mundane topics. Both Ophis and Alex enjoyed the time they could spend with other but the new einherji couldn't even begin to understand the depths that it soothed the protogenos' soul.

If she did, perhaps she would not have done what she would do next.

* * *

It was a few weeks since Ophis had last seen Alex. She'd been so busy lately preparing her forces for the possibility of Ragnarök and the how it might spill over into the worlds of the Greek mythos and worse the mundane world that she'd unable to spare the time. Then after Alex and his friends had saved the world, she'd been stuck in meetings with the Olympians and the gods from other mythos as they all brainstormed the idea of a standard operating procedure to respond to such events in the future.

As such, her longing for her beloved was at an all time high and she was greatly looking forward to spending time with him. Something she was glad to note was now made so much easier since Alex had decided to take up at least partial residence at the homeless shelter that her friend Magnus Chase had set up in his old ancestral mansion.

She'd literally skipped up the stairs into the building, excited beyond words that she'd be seeing Alex. However, almost immediately upon entering the building, she sensed something was wrong. She'd called ahead to let Alex know she'd be coming but he wasn't waiting for her in the foyer like she'd expected. Instead, he'd asked his friend Blitzen the dwarf to escort her to meet him in a meeting room instead.

Now feeling very worried, she nervously sat down across the table from Alex. He'd not even gotten up to greet her when she'd come into the room, instead choosing to continue sitting and looking away from her. In fact, he seemed to be going out of his way to avoid even glancing in her direction.

"Alex, what's wrong?" Ophis demanded without preamble. Her nerves getting the better of her tact.

"Ophis, I have something to confess." The boy told her, still refusing to look at her.

"What is it?"

Taking a shuddering breath, Alex turned to finally look at Ophis. His red rimmed eyes made it clear that he'd been crying and he wore a deeply conflicted and guilty look. Her intuition told her that what he was about to say would hurt her deeply, and she was sorely tempted to use her powers to find out what he was about to tell her but she stopped herself. She had to hear it from him, not learn it from a vision.

"Ophis, I'm so so sorry. But I kissed Magnus twice." Ophis' heart shattered into a million pieces at the revelation, her chest aching more intensely than even after her grievous injury from her fight with Tartarus. She couldn't imagine anything hurting more.

Alex continued, exuding guilt. "And I might maybe be dating him now."

She was wrong. If finding out Alex had kissed someone else had hurt, then learning he was dating someone… That almost killed her. It was like her insides were being ripped out of her.

Despite all that though, she kept a straight face. Alex might be her beloved, her destined one, the love of her life, but they'd exchanged no promises of fidelity. Had not established their relationship as being anything more than friends. In her foolishness, Ophis had not wanted to rush things and had decided to let Alex fulfill his destiny before trying for more. A mistake that had now left her utterly heartbroken.

She was determined to not let Alex see it though. She would not burden him with her pain, with her sense of betrayal. She loved him too much to do that to him.

"Why are you sorry?" Ophis asked, her voice monotone. She might be trying to spare him her hurt but it was too much, and this was honestly the best she could manage. "Who you date is not my business."

"But-"

"In fact, I'm happy for you." Ophis lied. She wasn't happy for Alex at all. How could she be when he'd so utterly destroyed her happiness?

"You are?" Alex asked, confused and hesitant. "You're not upset that I'm cheating on you?"

"Alex, we're just friends. Best friends." Ophis said even as the words cut deeply into her heart. "Why would you dating someone else be cheating on me?"

Fidgeting uncontrollably, Alex replied. "I thought we were. Dating I mean."

Ophis grit her teeth and had to call on her powers to literally vanish her tear ducts to prevent the tears from streaming down her face as she replied. "Really? Then why did you start a relationship with Magnus if you already saw us as a couple?"

It was a biting question and even as Ophis spoke, she wanted to take back her words. Especially when she saw how Alex flinched. But she couldn't, her anger and pride wouldn't allow her. They screamed at her to let the unfaithful cad have a taste, a feel of the emotional agony his actions were causing her.

The room was full of a tense silence for a long moment, Alex seemingly unable to formulate an answer to her question.

Ophis sighed in disappointment as she stood.

"Alex, no matter what happens I'll _always_ be your friend." Ophis told him before turning to leave. "Remember that."

Alex nodded and stood to walk her out.

She waved him away and walked on wooden legs towards the exit. Out of sight of her beloved, she could no longer help herself and she finally let the tears fall. She was aware that dozens of people was watching her cry but she didn't care as she walked with all the poise she'd learned as the Queen of Ogygia. They may see her sadness, but let them also see her pride in the face of heartbreak.

She had barely made it to the bottom of the steps of the old Chase Mansion when Aphrodite and Eros appeared at her side.

"Ophis dear, come here." The goddess of love said as she pulled an unresistant Ophis into a comforting hug. "There, there, sweetheart. It isn't the end yet. You want me to have Eros use one of his arrows on the boy?"

Pulling away from the hug, Ophis shook her head.

"Thank you for the offer, Aphrodite." The Great Serpent said sincerely. "But no. I think, no I _want_ , this to follow its natural course. To follow the path that destiny has mapped out for it."

"Are you sure?" The winged god of love asked.

"I'm sure." The still crying Ophis said with a firm nod.

Both Aphrodite and Eros exchanged an impressed look.

"Now if you'll both excuse me, I would like some time alone."

Without waiting for a reply, the heartbroken protegenos teleported away.

"Ah! Self-sacrificing love." Aphrodite whispered appreciatively. "Few forms of love are as true, no?"

Eros just nodded as the two divinities of love vanished in a storm of feathers.

* * *

A few days after the terrible 'break up' with Alex, Ophis sat patiently on a bench in a neglected Boston park. Unlike its more famous counterparts this park was poorly maintained, and the plants were either growing out of control or withering as a result. Perhaps due to that and the general ramshackle nature of its limited facilities, no one was around. She didn't know why she was there, except the urgings of her shattered heart telling her that this was where she needed to be tonight. The quiet and mostly deserted park suited her mood though, as the silence soothed her pain. Perhaps that was why she had felt the need to come here to this out of the way and all but forgotten patch of greenery in the city of her lost love.

She was proven wrong however, when suddenly a sobbing Alex ran into the park.

"Alex!" An alarmed Ophis called out to her.

"Ophis!?" Alex replied, sounding shocked to find her there. "What are you doing here?"

Ophis just shrugged in confusion, even as things became clear to her.

Rubbing her eyes and fighting tears, Alex walked over to sit next to Ophis. "Well, I'm glad you're here."

"What happened?" Ophis asked, full of concern and anger as she pulled her friend into a hug. Whoever made Alex cry like this would pay. She'd make sure of that.

Alex just let out a sob into Ophis' shoulder, before stammering out a reply through her tears. "M-Magnus, h-he broke up with me!"

Anger coursed through Ophis' veins at this revelation. The boy that Alex had given up on her to date, had broken up with her! Within a matter of days? Really!? Curses be upon the fool! May he die a thousand painful deaths!

Unbeknownst to Ophis, as her curses crossed her mind serpents across the many planes of creation heard her call. From this day forward, Magnus Chase would never be safe in their presence. For at her bidding, they would do everything in their power to destroy him.

Ophis did not notice this however, she was too focused on comforting Alex by rubbing circles on her back.

"Are you willing to talk about it?" Ophis asked carefully. "Talking about it might help."

Alex stilled for a long moment, before nodding into Ophis' shoulder and pushing away gently.

"We had a fight over my gender fluidity. I changed from being a girl into a boy in the middle of us making out a couple days ago and Magnus didn't like that. He didn't say anything, so I didn't even know!" Alex shouted in exasperation and shifted into a boy while pulling at his hair in frustration. "He just suddenly got distant. It took me confronting him to get him to tell me what was wrong."

"What did he say?" Ophis asked encouragingly, seeing that Alex clearly needed to vent.

"He said that he was weirded out by what happened and that he needed time to get used to it. Something about how it freaked him out when my boob suddenly disappeared from under his hand, or some bullshit!"

Ophis nodded in agreement with her friend's anger, even as she felt somewhat sympathetic for her rival. While she had no problem with something like that, she could see why a non-shapeshifter would find it strange. She paid no mind however to the fact that Alex had inadvertently revealed her gender fluidity was a lot more physical than was the norm. By the way that Alex just kept going, he didn't notice and Ophis wasn't about to derail his venting to point it out.

"I called him out on it. Told him that's not how it worked. He was either okay with it or not. If he had to take time then he would just end up forcing himself."

There was truth in that, but at the same time Ophis couldn't help but feel that Alex was being uncharitable to someone who had to suddenly change what they'd come to expect about becoming intimate with someone else.

"Things just got heated after that with Magnus getting pissed that I wasn't giving him the space he needed while I was still angry and betrayed at him for not accepting me for who I was when he said he did."

"He told you he accepted you?" Ophis asked, her anger stirring once more.

"Yeah, the same day we started dating."

"Then he's nothing more than a fickle ass."

"Not really." Alex said half-heartedly. "He tried his best, I think, but in the end he just couldn't get over it."

Ophis wasn't that willing to let him off the hook. "He may have tried but in the end his feelings for you weren't enough to overcome his sexuality."

Alex's eyes widened as if he'd been hit with an epiphany. "His sexuality-"

Ophis nodded. "I don't think he should be expected to change that."

Alex nodded, still trying to process how he'd completely missed this crucial piece of the equation in his relationship. This only took him a moment however, before he shifted into a girl and her shock was subsumed by another more powerful emotion. Anger.

Suddenly jumping to her feet, she started shouting. "This isn't fair! I sacrificed and gambled so much on being with Magnus, why didn't it work?"

Ophis kept her silence as she let Alex continue to vent even as her heart broke for her. _Because sometimes they just don't._

"I even gave up on my first love for Magnus." Alex admittedly, as tears streamed down her face. Tears of shame and anger, and as she looked at Ophis, tears of hope.

The protogenos was startled by Alex's revelation and couldn't resist the rush of pleasure at being called her friend's first love. She nevertheless kept her silence, perfectly aware that the other girl had more to say.

Alex turned to look at Ophis with an intensity that sent shivers down the primordial's spine. "Ophis, I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

"But there is!" Alex insisted. "I knew I _loved_ you but I couldn't think of how we could work out. So I never said anything and then Magnus came along."

Alex shook her head, and in a voice that sounded disgusted with herself she continued. "He was someone who was _safe_ , who I thought understood me and that I quite liked. So I decided to settle for him."

_Because he was an einherji like you and thus someone that you thought you could share eternity with._ Ophis added for her.

"I didn't even have Sam's courage to fight to be with the one I truly loved."

"Alex, you shouldn't compare yourself with your sister." Ophis whispered, before she froze. She'd slipped up, Alex never told her that Samirah al-Abbas was her sister

Fortunately, Alex didn't seem to have heard her. Instead, she collapsed into Ophis.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed into the taller girl's skirt. "I'm so, so sorry."

Sighing in relief that Alex hadn't caught her slip of the tongue, Ophis comfortingly stroked Alex's hair.

They stayed like that for a moment, the only words exchanged between them being Alex's unending apologies. When she finally recomposed herself, the child of Loki looked up at Ophis.

"Ophis, would you have the same problem that Magnus did?"

"Alex, you really shouldn't be starting another relationship so soon." Ophis deflected, even as her heart raced at the prospect.

"Just answer the question."

"I'll always love you, Alex. Whether you're a boy or a girl." Ophis told the other girl cautiously. As much as she wanted this, she was leery of starting a relationship with Alex when she was clearly on the rebound.

"Really? Prove it." Alex said as she pulled Ophis into a kiss.

Ophis could have pushed her away but she didn't. She had wanted to kiss Alex for years and she was not about to let this chance go, bad timing or not.

The kiss started out chaste, a gentle pressing of their lips together but soon Alex was brushing her tongue across Ophis' upper lip begging for entry. The Greek obliged, letting her friend's tongue slip into her mouth and her own meet it as she initiated a playful war of caresses as they explored each others' mouths.

Even as they Frenched, Ophis felt Alex's hands move up her sides, exploring her body in a way that sent an intensely pleasurable thrill up her spine. At the same time, she wasn't idle and let her own hands wander over the einherji's body like she dreamed of doing so many, many times in the past. The Great Serpent gasped lightly as Alex's hands found her breasts and gave them a teasing squeeze. Deciding to return the favor, Ophis moved her own hands to cup Alex's smaller breasts.

Before she could squeeze though they melted away into the flat chest of a man. At the same time, she noticed when Alex's lips and facial structure subtly changed shape as she became a man. She didn't react though beyond changing tack and instead of squeezing his now non-existent boobs, pinched his nipples. This caused him to pull away from her with a squeak.

Ophis couldn't help herself as she giggled at his reaction.

"That hurt." Alex whined.

"I just need practice." Ophis replied with a sultry smirk.

Alex blushed, and Ophis felt a thrill of pride at eliciting this shy reaction from the usually confident child of Loki.

He shook his embarrassment off quickly though, and with a serious expression asked, "You're not freaked out? By me being a shapeshifter? And literally genderfluid?"

Ophis shook her head. "I've known for a while. I mean you're pretty androgynous either way, but there's small things which I've noticed. And sometimes when you're excited or happy, you shift from one to another."

Alex just gaped. "And you didn't mention any of that?"

"I figured you'd tell me when you felt ready." Ophis informed him with a shrug.

"You trust me that much? What if I never told you?" An almost flabbergasted Alex asked.

"Then I'd live with it. It's your secret to tell, I would never think of forcing you to share it. Or anything for that matter."

"Ophis, you're amazing. You know that?"

Ophis blushed. "Thank you. So, um, after that kiss. Are we dating now?"

Suddenly looking shy again, the son of Loki hesitantly replied. "I-If you want to."

This was like a dream come through for Ophis, and she wanted to shout yes and kiss him senseless but she restrained herself. There was time for that later. She had to get something out of the way first.

"I would like nothing more in the world." Ophis said, pulling on all the poise she'd learned to help hide her giddy anticipation. "But there's one thing I want to make clear. If we do this then we need to take it seriously. I refuse to just be your rebound."

"Of course." Alex agreed, a determined glint in his eyes.

"Good," Ophis said, her mask discarded as she let her excitement surface. "Then why are we wasting time talking? Kiss me!"

"As my Lady commands." Alex with an exaggerated bow, before leaning down to kiss Ophis once more.

* * *

A week later Ophis teleported into Hotel Valhalla beside Odin. They were an odd couple indeed. Tthe Norse god wore the guise of a barrel-chested man with massive arms, close-cropped gray hair, a square beard that accentuated his hardened, weathered face and a black patch that covered his empty left eye socket. He was wearing a short-sleeve Hotel Valhalla polo shirt, along with a massive sword hanging at his side, as his dark blue right eye surveyed her with mirth.

In contrast, Ophis was a nervous wreck at the idea of what she was about to do. Her normally immaculate waist length hair was a mess from her playing with it repeatedly in futile bids to distract herself from her anxiety. Her stylish dress, courtesy of the finest seamstresses on Olympus, was a crumpled mess from her endless fidgeting.

"You really should relax, Ophis." Odin reassured her. "I foresee everything going smoothly."

Ophis just nodded distractedly as she looked around her, trying to once again distract herself. The foyer of the Norse paradise for warriors looked like the world's largest hunting lodge, with an acre of hardwood floor covered with exotic animal skins. Against the right wall of the lobby, there was a fireplace the size of a bedroom. Over the mantel hung the stuffed head of a wolf. In the far corner of the room stood an overturned boat's keel, which served as the reception desk.

Columns supporting the ceiling were made from rough-hewn tree trunks, and the ceiling itself was lined with spears for rafters. Polished shields gleamed on the walls and the entire place seemed to be illuminated from every direction. In the middle of the foyer, there was an announcement board displaying the activities for the day.

All in all, Ophis approved. It seemed to quite nicely blend modernity with the aesthetics of ancient Norse culture.

A man with abominably messy hair and a massive beard stepped out from behind the reception desk to greet them.

Before he could open his mouth however Odin preempted him, "Helgi, please call Alex Fierro to a conference room please. We would like to speak to him."

"Of course, Lord Odin." The man all but groveled. "Though she might take a while to show up, she's been busy lately preparing some kind of surprise for her _mortal girlfriend_."

The way the man sneered at the mention of her sparked a rush of irrational anger in her, and Ophis let her head transform into her true form. Her eyes narrowed into serpentine slits, her mouth grew into a massive maw and her teeth sharpened into rows of razor sharp fangs.

"Do I look mortal, einherji?" Ophis hissed at the fool angrily.

Trembling before her powerful gaze, the man shook his head.

"Then do not call me mortal or speak of me with such disrespect again." Ophis ordered the man. "Oh! And if you're still too much of an idiot to get it, I'm Alex's girlfriend."

Even as Ophis allowed her head to return to normal, which conveniently fixed her hair, she could hear Odin chuckling at Helgi's expense and dozens of einherji lounging in the lobby murmuring in the background as they discussed this revelation.

"Deepest apologies, Great One. I didn't mean disrespect, I didn't know." The dead king apologized sycophantically.

"And that is why I haven't destroyed you." Ophis informed him. "Now hurry and go get Alex. I'm waiting."

"At once!" The einherji said as he raced off to comply.

"My, you do have a way with words don't you Ophis?" Odin said, while chuckling and guided her towards the reception desk and the hopefully more helpful doorman that stood behind it. "Now let's go get a conference room and wait for Helgi to fetch your girlfriend."

Ophis nodded and bit her lip as her nerves overcame her once more.

* * *

Alex Fierro rushed into the Conference Room that Helgi had ushered him to. She'd been busy working on a statuette of a winged serpent, a design that her girlfriend oddly loved, for Ophis as a present she'd been planning to surprise her girlfriend with, when the manager had suddenly knocked on her door urgently demanding that she follow him. She'd been planning on ignoring him at first, more concerned with finishing her present, until he'd mentioned that Ophis was waiting for her. Here. In Hotel Valhalla.

Fearing the worse, that Ophis had died and ended up here as a einherji, she'd raced to the elevator and sent it tumbling down to the lobby where her girlfriend waited. Helgi right behind her and muttering nonsense about having to make sure she got there quick or risk the Great Serpent's wrath. Alex ignored him, all her focus on getting to Ophis as soon as possible.

As she finally ran into the room, she found Ophis sitting next to Odin, of all people, chatting amiably. As equals. Alex felt her brain short circuit at that. Why was her mortal girlfriend here in Hotel Valhalla talking to the King of the Gods of Asgard as an equal? And that's definitely what she was seeing too. Odin and Ophis were referring to each other by name and were treating each other with respect accorded to peers.

"Alex!" Ophis greeted her cheerfully as she skid to a stop, jumping to her feet and coming round the table to hug her.

Despite her confusion, Alex returned the hug. "Ophis."

"You two make a cute couple." Odin said as he snapped a picture of them hugging with his phone.

"Odin!" Ophis chided.

"Apologies Ophis, but Heimdall offered me a good deal for a picture."

"I'm so paying him a visit after this." Ophis hissed under her breath. "He better not have taken any compromising pictures."

"He has better sense than that." The god said while stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Usually. Though a reminder to mind his manners wouldn't hurt."

Ophis nodded, even as she guided Alex to a chair.

"Well then, now that you're here Miss Fierro, we can get down to business." Odin declared once everyone was seated.

"Business?" Alex asked, as she looked between Odin and Ophis for an explanation. Ophis just squeezed her hand reassuringly, which considering the situation didn't really help much.

"Yes, you see Ophis here has offered to buy your afterlife." Odin said, causing Alex's mouth to drop open in shock. "Also this is part of the reward for your role in the events surrounding the recent brush with Ragnarök."

_Buying my afterlife? Ophis?_ Alex thought to herself as she shot her girlfriend a searching look. Unable to find any answers, she decided to be blunt about it.

"Ophis, who are you really?"

Smiling sheepishly, in the way she always did when she was caught doing something embarrassing, Ophis replied, "I'm the Hellenist primordial of Time and Space."

As if to prove this point, Ophis allowed herself to be surrounded by a black and white aura that radiated power.

For a long moment, Alex could only sit there in slack jawed shock.

At last though, she managed to ask in a hurt whisper. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ophis let her light show fade and fidgeted in her seat even as she replied hesitantly. "I was being selfish. I wanted our relationship to be real and uninfluenced by what I am. I wanted you to be with me for _who_ I am."

Alex nodded, she could understand that. That's what she'd always wanted too. It didn't take away all the pain of being lied to, but then again she hadn't been wholly truthful with Ophis either had she? She never did tell her about her being an einherji or the fact that the Norse mythos was real. Then again, considering what Ophis was she didn't really need to.

This fact brought to mind something else that Alex had noted about Ophis. Something that she'd previously brushed aside as just being one of her quirks. "All those time you mentioned fate, about us being fated. You weren't joking."

"No," Ophis admitted. "We are destined for each other."

Alex recoiled. "What about my free will? How doesn't this makes our relationship unreal?"

"Because I'll respect it. Your free will, I mean." Ophis said passionately. "I always have and always will. That's what makes our relationship real. When you chose Magnus I defied fate and walked away, even when love itself offered to intervene on my behalf."

Alex looked at her disbelievingly but Odin nodding along to the side told her Ophis was telling the truth.

"If you reject me now, then I'll defy fate again and never meet you again."

The child of Loki just looked at Ophis like she was crazy. Defy fate? That was impossible, wasn't it? By the look of fear and respect that Odin was shooting Ophis, Alex suspected it was. Or at least, very, very difficult. Even for someone like Ophis.

_Second guessing our relationship will get us nowhere._ Alex concluded. _Especially after a declaration like that._

"I believe you." Alex said leaning over to kiss Ophis. "I love you."

Ophis kissed her back and the only thing that stopped Alex from making out with her girlfriend right there and then was the god sitting on the other side of the table. Pulling away from a clearly disappointed Ophis, Alex turned to address Odin. Her gender changing as she looked at the god.

"Lord Odin, what does it mean for Ophis to buy my afterlife?"

"I can explain that." Ophis said as she leaned into his side. "You won't become my servant or anything. Unlike Odin and his einherji, I won't demand your loyalty. Instead, I'll make you immortal if you accept that part of the deal."

"That part of the deal?" Alex asked, looking down at Ophis whose head was resting against his shoulder.

"Yeah, the offer of immortality is separate from the part where you agree to be my consort."

"C-Consort?" Alex choked out, realizing that this was basically Ophis proposing.

"Ophis' spouse basically." Odin informed him as he stood. "This is quite the momentous decision to make, so we'll give you a week to decide."

Alex's mind was full of questions. He knew he probably should take the time offered and think things through but as Ophis pulled away from his side and got to her feet, her absence made up his mind.

"No need." Alex said, growing more determined as the words came out of his mouth. "I accept Ophis' offer. All of it."

Turning to Ophis, Alex shot her a serious look. "Till death do us part."

Ophis's response response was to squeal happily and jump him.

As he struggled with unzipping Ophis' dress while not breaking their soul deep kiss, Alex was dimly aware of Odin exiting the room and locking it behind him. As Ophis slipped her dress off and tossed it aside, he was barely conscious of the conference room transforming into a bedroom and the feel of the soft mattress under him. By the time his goddess, naked as the day she was born, bent down over his equally naked body to gently guide his member into her eager body, he knew nothing but Ophis.

* * *

**So I'm predicting I'll be very busy tomorrow, so I'm posting this early. So enjoy!**

**Phew! This was both incredibly fun and difficult to write. Fun because this chapter has been what I've been most looking forward to write for this whole series of shorts. Difficult because romance isn't something that's usually my forte, and this whole long one-short is just that. That said, I'm quite pleased with the result.**

**That said, I do have some concerns. Firstly, Alex's characterization. I know his/her speech and behavior is off from Canon, to the point where it might be considered OOC. I tried my best but I** _**really** _ **can't write that kind of snarky, irreverent characters. I'm too tempted to kill them off for their poor behavior/manners, so if they must be important characters to my plot I tend to make them OOC. That said, I do have a halfway decent explanation for why Alex seems different. She's actually being genuine with Ophis. Unlike with everyone else, Alex doesn't feel need to hide behind her wit or to emphasize her uniqueness with flamboyant gestures. With Ophis she can be the normal person she otherwise tries so hard not to be.**

**Another thing that I'm honestly a little worried about is that some naysayer will be upset about the ages of Alex and Ophis here. So I'll try to assuage their concerns here. Ophis is a goddess, one who at this end of this story has been an adult for two years. On the other hand, we are never actually given Alex's age in canon. So I'm just going to arbitrarily say that he/she died at seventeen and so is eighteen at the end of the short. With that, both Ophis and Alex are consenting adults.**

**On another front, yes the above explanation of Ophis' age screws with canon's timeline. Considering I've basically completely destroyed the whole basis of the Trails of Apollo already and will not cover the Magnus Chase stories, I feel completely justified messing with the post-Heroes of Olympus timeline. To that effect, yes I'm pushing the whole Magnus Chase timeline ahead in time. As far as I can tell, this shouldn't really affect much. Annabeth and Percy can still come help Magnus out, heck considering the lack of threats in my verse they'll be even more able than canon to do so.**

**Hmm…**

**Those seem to be all the concerns I can foresee. Do let me know via a review if you guys have any others.**

**Till next time. Peace.**

 


	9. Shovel Talk #1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 9: Shovel Talk #1**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

Alex Fierro, Consort to Ophis, found herself seated on a wooden chair in the middle of the main training yard of her lover's palace on Ogygia. Considering that it was already approaching midnight and Ophis was expecting her, this would have been alarming enough. She hated disappointing her lover.

Though at the moment she was a little more concerned with her own survival. For surrounding her and looking menacing were no less than the Titans Koios and Bob (formerly Iapetus); the Lord of the Underworld Hades; his demigod son and her brother-in-law Nico di Angelo; Nico's boyfriend and son of Apollo, Will Solace and her stepdaughter Lily.

Normally Lily wasn't very intimidating. Despite being a large python, she was a incredibly sweet child that seemed incapable of hurting a fly. Right now though as she loomed over him in the form of a massive snake whose bulk filled up most of the football field sized training yard, Alex was finding it rather difficult to remember that this was the same sweetheart who loved cuddling with her mother and had a sweet tooth a mile wide.

Leaning down so her massive head shrouded her in shadow, Lily eyed Alex with the most serious expression the former einherji had ever seen on her serpentine face.

"Alex Fierro," The huge serpent hissed menacingly. "What makes you think that you're worthy of being Mummy's consort?"

"Honestly? Nothing. I'm totally unworthy." Alex shrugged and her gathered interrogators shifted in surprise. "But if Ophis is willing to settle for me then I'll do my best to make her happy."

Lily's tongue flicked the air for a moment, "She really believes that."

With a thoughtful look, Lily pulled back and sank back onto her coils to watch the proceedings seemingly satisfied for the moment.

Hades stepped up then and leveled a terrifying glare at her.

"Tell me, shapeshifter." The god of the dead said in a menacing voice that had all the hairs on the back of Alex's neck standing. "Do you truly think that you will be able to make Ophis happy?"

Despite the fear that the eldest of the Olympian gods inspired in her, Alex confidently replied, "I can only try my best."

"And if you fail?" Koios, the Titanic Lord of the North, asked as he too glared at her.

"If I end up doing something to make Ophis unhappy then I'll apologize." Alex said through gritted teeth as she resisted the urge to start shivering at the Titan's arctic gaze. "I'd figure out what I did wrong and learn from it so I won't make the same mistake again."

Koios seemed unsatisfied but Bob grabbed his shoulder and offered her a grudging nod, "That's a good attitude."

"Perhaps," Hades said as he stepped forward once more. "But I think we can all agree it would be better if she didn't upset Ophis in the first place."

"That's just unreasonable, Big Brother." Ophis' soft voice said as she stepped out of the shadows of the covered walkways surrounding the yard. She was flanked by the giant Damasen, who must have been the one to inform her about what was going on.

"Mommy!" Lily squeaked in alarm at seeing her mother and reverted to her usual form.

The others didn't react that dramatically, but all of them looked startled at her appearance.

Even Alex was a little surprised by her showing up. Almost as soon as she'd moved to Ogygia, Ophis had warned her that her family would likely drag her aside at some point to give her the shovel talk and to bear with it. She felt, and Alex agreed, that letting them vent their worries at her would be a good thing and that Ophis would only step in if things got dangerous. As such, it was a surprise that Ophis had chosen to interfere so quickly. Her family had barely got started.

Though as Alex noted the hints of lace that was peeking out from under Ophis' bathrobe, she could guess what motivated her lover's actions.

_Someone's impatient for some nookie._

Eying her concerned family, Ophis shook her head in frustration.

"Must you all bully my lover like this?" The Great Serpent asked chidingly.

Slithering up to her mother, Lily tried to explain herself.

"We weren't bullying her." The little goddess said earnestly. "We just wanted to remind her to treat you right."

"By intimidating her?"

"It's a time honored tradition for the bride's family to remind the groom or spouse in this case of the consequences of mistreating her." Hades argued defiantly, the others nodding in agreement.

Alex exchanged a look with Ophis and wordlessly reminded her lover that they had been expecting this. The Queen of Ogygia just gave a frustrated sigh, clearly not expecting her family to stoop quite so low.

_Honestly, darling, what were you expecting? Veiled threats delivered over a meal?_ Alex thought to herself with a shake of head. _Your family are a bunch of gods and Titans, I would think dragging someone out in the middle of the night to scare the fear of them into the person was par for the course._

Then again Ophis tended to have an overly rosy opinion of her relatives, so maybe her optimism was to be expected.

"I have confidence Alex will treat me just fine." Ophis told her daughter and her other relations.

Not that they seemed satisfied, but none of them seemed willing to push the issue for the moment either. Alex counted that as a win.

"Damasen," Ophis said turning to the healer. "Could you show everyone to their rooms. It's getting late."

"Of course, Ophis." The giant agreed.

Reluctantly, Lily, Koios, Bob and Hades left. Damasen waited for the two demigods to follow but Ophis nodded to him and he took the rear of the departing divinites acting to ensure none of them chose to double back.

Nico waited until it was only the four of them in the yard before he walked towards Alex and drew his Stygian Iron sword. Pressing his blade against her throat, he leaned down to whisper a deadly promise.

"Hurt my sister and I'll make sure you die a painful death."

With that he turned to leave, Will following at his side.

Ophis just shook her head in exasperation at his actions, while Alex fought to get her heart back under control. Out of everything that Hades, Lily and Koios had said and done to intimidate her tonight, nothing had come close to Nico's threat.

"Hey Ophis," Alex asked when she finally regained her composure. "Your relatives are seriously scary."

Smirking playfully, Ophis replied teasingly as she walked over. "Did they scare you off?"

Alex's reply was to stand up and pull her lover into a deep kiss while pulling the knot that held Ophis' robe free.

* * *

**And Alex has survived her first shovel talk. Trust me there will be more.**

**As for why Ophis doesn't get one? Well, I'll explain it in a later short but basically? Who on Alex's side of things could intimidate her? Ophis would just laugh off anyone who tried. That being the case, it was far more fun for me to focus on Alex's trails as he/she gets the talk from Ophis' family.**

**On another note, some of you might be wondering why this is so short. Well this originally was intended to be an epilogue to the previous short but I shelved that plan as this didn't flow well with it, so it became its own short instead.**

**That's all I think I need to discuss here.**

**Till next time. Peace.**


	10. Trouble with the House of Life

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 10: Trouble with the House of Life**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

It had been such a great idea on paper. Go for a honeymoon to the Eastern Mediterranean. Enjoy the sights, visit and connect with the old centers of Hellenistic power. Stop by Alexandria to do some shopping in exotic Egypt along the way. Ophis and Alex had both been thrilled about the whole thing.

And for most of the trip things had went well. They'd run into some monsters here and there, but most were sensible enough to flee at the mere sight of Ophis. Others, well, Alex had never seen so many beings be vaporized before in his life before this trip. Though considering it was his wife doing the vaporizing, he found it quite entertaining to watch.

It wasn't all just monsters they'd run into though. The others they'd met along the way be it gods, nymphs or nature spirits all treated them with the utmost respect in deference to Ophis. If not for the fact that he could shapeshift, Alex was pretty sure his weight would have doubled after all the feasting they'd been treated to.

Unfortunately, things had derailed the moment they teleported into Alexandria.

They'd barely stepped out of the back alley they'd materialized in when a weird robed dude wearing a strange skull mask came up to Ophis and claimed to be a messenger from her Mother and wanted to talk.

That had confused the hell out of Alex. As far as he knew Ophis' mother was Chaos. How could an Egyptian monster, its nature unmistakable to the trained former einherji, be her representative? That said, Ophis seemed to trust him and had went off to talk, telling Alex to check into their hotel first.

Alex trusted his wife, which was why he did as she asked. He worried though and as an hour passed and Ophis still hadn't showed up, he decided enough was enough and went looking for her.

He retraced his steps to the deserted back alley in the city's slums. His movements did not go unnoticed however, and as he made his way back to where he'd last seen Ophis he sensed that he had picked up a growing number of tails.

As he finally reached the alley, his shadows finally decided to confront him. There were four of them and each of them looked like some kind of strange cross between a man, animal and inanimate object.

"Greetings Alex Fierro, Consort to Ophis," A man with a vice for a head and tentacles for limbs said as he stepped forward.

"Here to kill me?" Alex asked warily as he readied his garrote.

"No," Another monster with a flaming skull for a head and hoofed feet said. "Merely to deliver you a message from our Lord Apophis."

"Well, I don't want to hear it." Alex informed them as he lashed out with his deadly wire and beheaded a monster with a rubber duck for a head. The Consort of Ophis turned to face his remaining opponents without looking back as Mr Ducky became a mound of sand.

"Wait! We're not your en-" The last monster, one with a chair for a head said before he was sent flying by a spontaneous explosion. He was just getting to his feet when a loud voice shouted from nearby.

" **A'max!"** At the exclamation the chair faced monster died in a blaze of fire and its body disintegrated into a pile of sand.

Turning to the source of the magic, Alex saw a tall, barrel-shaped man with skin the color of roasted coffee running towards the fight. He was wearing a crimson suit, red-tinted sunglasses, and had garnets braided into his hair. Though what made his appearance truly outlandish was the long leopard-skin cape. Alex greatly approved of the man's fashion sense.

"The Chief Lector!" Viceface said, leaving himself open as he spun to face the approaching man in shock. Alex unwilling to let the opportunity go, morphed into a bear and bowled the wannabe octopus over before shifting back into his human form and swiftly decapitating him with his garrote.

Flaming skull reached out to grab Alex but even as he spun out of the way, the monster was sent flying by a cry of " **Ha-wi!"** from the magic user.

Lashing out at the last monster with his garrote even as it flew through the air, Alex cut it into pieces even before it hit the ground thus reducing it to a cloud of sand.

As the last of the monsters were dealt with, Alex and the man eyed each other warily. The magic user might have helped him deal with the monsters, but that didn't mean he wasn't an enemy too.

"So who are you?" Alex asked, readying himself to shift into another form in case he needed to.

"Amos Kane, Chief Lector of the House of Life." The cape wearing man said with a encouraging smile. "You?"

"Alex Fierro. Any ideas what those monsters were? I'm not familiar with their type."

Kane blinked in surprise at that, but seemed to recover his wits quickly enough. "Is that so? Well, I think you'd best come with me to the First Nome. It's safer to explain things there."

"And for you to ask me questions, right?"

"You've caught me." The magic user said with a smile. "So will you come?"

Alex considered his options. He could refuse, at which point he might just risk making an enemy of this man and whatever organization this House of Life he represented was. Something that would undoubtedly cause Ophis quite a few headaches down the road. Or he could play along for now and hope that they were a reasonable bunch and would let him go once he'd cleared things up. It was risky, they could try to harm him but he was confident he could take care of himself. Plus on the off chance that he couldn't, hurting him would unambiguously make them the bad guys and Ophis would have no qualms crushing them like bugs.

With that in mind, he agreed. "Well, lead the way."

* * *

Ten minutes after the fight concluded, Ophis arrived at the scene with her demon guide in tow. Surveying the area, she could not help but frown. Alex's scent was here but so was those of four demons and an unfamiliar male that reeked of Egyptian magic and the touch of a god of desert storms. All of which mixed together in a way that was unmistakably that of a fight.

"What in mother's name happened here?" Ophis asked as she turned to glare at the demon.

Flinching at her look, the skull masked demon prostrated itself before her. "Apologies Great One, but I do not know. All I know is that four of my compatriots who had been tasked to protect your Consort tried to speak to him here."

"About what?"

"To deliver a message from Lord Apophis."

Ophis palmed her face in frustration, she had a good idea what her mother wanted to tell her husband.

_Great. Mum tries to give Alex the shovel talk and now he's been kidnapped._ Ophis thought with a hint of annoyance. _And why did Mum even feel the need to distract me with idle chit chat anyways? And why did I let her? Or convince me that I needed to speak to her alone?_

Groaning at her own foolishness for going off to speak to her mother through the use of her servant as a mouthpiece and leaving Alex alone in a dangerous, unfamiliar place, Ophis glared at the demon.

"Let me guess, they weren't discrete and caught the attention of a Shesh?"

"It would appear so, Great One."

Returning to surveying the scene, Ophis took a deep breath to sample the area's scents and construct in her mind what happened here. It seemed that after defeating the demons, the Egyptian Magician had taken Alex with him.

_If the scents are right, Alex used his shapeshifting._ Ophis concluded. _And if I was a Magician and saw something like that I'd assume he was a fellow Magician. But Alex isn't and any simple questioning will prove that, which will just raise more questions. That being the case, the smart thing to do would be to take him someplace secure and clarify things._

"Tell me. Where would a Magician take someone for questioning?"

The demon was thoughtful for a moment, before he replied. "Any safehouse would do, however my fellows have been watching all those throughout Egypt since Master Alex's disappearance and there is no trace of him. That means that unless we missed one-"

"How likely is that?"

"Slim, Great One. The Magicians are hardly as subtle as they believe themselves to be and they underestimate us. We keep a close watch on their activities, especially so since our Lord told us to prepare for your visit."

Ophis nodded, satisfied. Besides, her own scrying for Alex indicated he was not anywhere as mundane. It was clouded as if obstructed by powerful wards, but her powers showed he was in some kind of underground city.

"What about a underground city? Does the House of Life have one of those."

"You describe the First Nome, Great One. The seat of the Per Ankh's power. If Master Alex is there, rescuing him will be im-" The demon hesitated as Ophis glared at him, before hastily correcting himself. "Difficult. I meant, difficult."

"We shall see about that." Ophis said, her eyes blazing with her power.

* * *

Alex had to admit this First Nome place was pretty cool. It was a vast underground city of halls and chambers with ceilings that soared to twenty or thirty feet. Each chamber was lined with massive stone columns painted to resemble palm trees with carved green fronds at the top. There were hundreds of copper braziers of all sizes scattered throughout the caverns that provided all the lighting the place seemed to need. It had the feel of an underground 'open-air market' that was full of magicians bustling between stalls that sold things like wands, statues, parrots, cobras, papyrus scrolls, hundreds of different glittering amulets and all manner of strange Egyptian themed magical items.

It had nothing on Hotel Valhalla with its ever growing number of floors and myriad of out of this world activities or even Ogygia with its vast temple city dedicated to Ophis but it was still pretty damn amazing compared to the mundane world.

Not that Alex had been given the chance to explore it much after being frogmarched through a portal and into this place. Almost as soon as he'd arrived, Amos and a growing retinue of his subordinates had escorted him into a building at the edge of town that from the cells he glimpsed in passing, was some kind of jail. Eventually, he was led into a interview room straight out of a low budget crime drama complete with single nondescript table and flimsy looking lamp hanging from the ceiling with only Amos for company.

After that, Amos and Alex had chatted. Trying with little luck to gel their understandings of the world. Amos had explained about the Egyptian gods, the Duat and Egyptian magic and Alex had processed that easily enough. As a former einherji and a child of Loki who happened to be married to the Hellenistic primordial of Time and Space, wrapping his head around another mythos wasn't too difficult.

It was explaining that other mythos existed to Amos that was proving difficult. The man could grasp that gods and monsters from other pantheons existed, but he had kept trying to rationalize their existence into the frame of reference that he'd known all his life. As a result, he kept asking questions about the mechanics of things that Alex had no idea about.

How did Tartarus relate to the Land of Demons? Heck, if Alex knew! He didn't even know there _was_ a Land of Demons until Amos told him about it.

At least, Amos seemed to believe what Alex had to say. So as frustrating as trying to assuage the man's curiosity was, he was thankful enough that he wasn't being regarded as an enemy to try his best to answer the man's many questions. For now.

_Ophis, how long more do I need to wait?_ Alex thought to himself as the Magician asked yet another question.

_Give me a second._ Ophis' voice echoed in Alex's mind unexpectedly. _These wards are tricky._

"Ophis?" Alex said out loud, looking around the spartan interview room.

"I beg your pardon?" Amos said, surprised by Alex's non sequitur.

Turning to the Magician, Alex realized he should give the man some fair warning before his wife made her inevitable dramatic appearance.

"Amos, I think my wife's found me. You might want to warn everyone not to panic when she-"

Alex never got to finish his warning before suddenly the whole First Nome shuddered. Amos immediately jumped to his feet in alarm but stopped himself when Ophis materialized next to Alex.

"Alex!" His wife cried out in relief as she threw herself into his arms.

"I'm alright. Sorry if I worried you." Alex told her apologetically as he hugged her back and rubbed comforting circles on her back.

While the couple had a happy reunion, Amos was mustering his magic. Cloaking himself in the avatar of his patron god, he prepared for a fight. He became the core of a vaguely human form that was part sandstorm and part fire. In the avatar's hands appeared a ten-meter black iron staff that he immediately leveled at Ophis.

"I don't know who you are intruder." Amos bellowed down from within his avatar even as it stood to its full height, destroying the jail in the process.

"That's cool magic." Alex noted offhandedly even as Ophis erected a barrier around them to shield them from the falling debris of the collapsed jail.

"Maybe, but he could stand to be more careful. Then again, it seems he had the sense to evacuate the building when he brought you in." Ophis noted with a frown. "Otherwise, who knows how many people would be killed when the building came down."

Ignoring the couple's byplay, Amos shot lightning at their protective bubble. "But I will not let you trespass into the First Nome without consequence."

"He's being manipulated by Set." Ophis said, her frown growing deeper as she fired a beam of energy that sent Amos flying into the cavern wall. "The Red God wants to fight me."

"Can you help him?" Alex asked. Amos might be attacking them but from what he could tell from his interactions with him so far, he was a good man. If he was being controlled by someone, then Alex hoped they could help him.

"I'll see what I can do," Ophis said with a smile as she summoned her wings and floated into the air like an angel.

In the distance, Alex spotted a large number of Magicians running towards the battle but Ophis handily took care of that by shifting the battle into a pocket dimension leaving only the two of them and Amos inside.

"Set, release the Magician at once!" Ophis demanded. "Have you forgotten Ra's decree?"

The avatar just laughed insanely as the Egyptian god of Evil and Chaos dropped the facade.

"Who cares what the old man had to say!" The god replied, his voice unlike Amos' was dark and full of evil intent. "I won't miss the chance to fight the newest, most talked about goddess in the world."

Alex shook his head, what was with warrior gods and their obsession with fighting. Having originally been Norse, he could definitely appreciate a good fight now and then, but the war gods and their lust of battle went well beyond reason.

"Then I'll just have to force you out of that body and back into the Duat." Ophis told the god, as she flapped her wings and sent hundreds of beams of pencil thin energy curving through the air towards the possessed Magician.

The Egyptian responded by slamming his staff into the ground and unleashing a storm of red lightning that arced in the air deliberately to meet each and every one of Ophis' beams, cancelling them out.

Taking the initiative, the god tossed his staff like a javelin but Ophis just used one of her wings to bat it aside. Set had used the distraction he'd created to close the distance however and with his hands shrouded in flames he reached out to pull Ophis from the sky.

Unfazed she just hit him with another large beam of energy that once more sent the avatar crashing back into the cavern wall. This time though, she didn't let up and kept the beam going. Set screamed in pain and frustration as he struggled futilely against the beam as it continually pressed him against the rock face and ate away at his avatar.

With the god immobilized and the fight essentially over, Ophis turned to Alex.

Before she could say anything though, Alex jumped in. Considering this was all her fault, there was no way he was going to let her go first.

"This is all your mum's fault." Alex accused. "She sent some of her demons to give me a shovel talk."

"I guessed as much." Ophis said with a apologetic shake of her head. "Sorry about having to put you through another one."

"It didn't even get started." Alex confessed. "I thought the demons were out to kill me or something so I attacked them. Then Amos got involved and here we are."

Ophis groaned in annoyance.

"By the way, when do you get one?"

"A shovel talk?"

"Yup." Alex said with a teasing grin. "If I keep getting them, shouldn't you get at least one?"

"I did. Magnus, Sam and your friends tried but their threats just made me laugh. Jormungand tried too, though since he'll be sleeping till the end of the world I couldn't take him seriously either."

Alex sighed. He really needed scarier friends.

"I figured it would go something like that. It's still unfair though."

"Want me to go visit your mum?" Ophis offered. "I'm sure Loki can do better."

"Please don't even joke about that!"

Ophis just giggled at his expense. If it was anyone else using Loki to joke around with him, Alex would have been offended. His wife was the sole exception, he enjoyed listening to her laugh far too much to put limits on what could be said to illicit that wonderful sound from her.

"Oh! Looks like Set is done." Ophis said suddenly, as she cut off her beam and let Amos' battered body fall to the ground. She caught him with a little telekinesis and brought him over to check him over for injuries even as she landed and dismissed her wings and the protective shield bubble keeping him safe.

The Magician was passed out but looked otherwise unharmed. Ophis nevertheless healed him with a burst of her power.

"Ugh. What happened." The Chief Lector said as he regained consciousness.

"Set briefly possessed you to pick a fight with me." Ophis informed the man with a glare.

Amos just nodded. "And likely influenced me to bring your husband to the First Nome to make it possible."

"I don't understand."

"It's simple, Alex, the Egyptian gods have by decree of their king retreated deep into the Duat - their godly plane - so they can't easily access the mortal plane anymore." Ophis explained. "But here-"

"They can." Amos picked up the explanation as he pushed himself to his feet. "This is the heart of Egyptian magic. There are few places where the realm of the gods intersect more closely with the mortal world."

Alex nodded. That made sense and cleared up why Amos had been reckless enough to bring an unknown all the way to the headquarters of his organization.

"Should you be worried about Set possessing you again?"

"I don't know." Amos confessed worriedly.

"You shouldn't." Ophis reassured him. "I'll send a missive to Ra and Horus. They'll make sure Set obeys the decree to stay away from the mortal world."

"Thank you, Lady Ophis." Amos said with a bow. "But somehow I find it difficult to accept the generosity of someone known to associate with demons."

Alex was ready to jump to his wife's defense but Ophis beat him to it.

Glaring at the Magician, she replied in a frigid voice. "It's none of your business, Magician, if I choose to work with my mother's servants. Question me on this matter again and you'll regret it."

What that ultimatum, Ophis grabbed Alex's hand and they teleported away.

* * *

After Alex and his wife had departed, Amos found himself once more in the true First Nome as Ophis' pocket dimension collapsed upon her departure and in the middle of a crowd of his worried peers. Turning to assuage their fears, he couldn't help the one growing within him. From his interactions with the young man, Alex was a good person but he was blinded by love. He could not trust the man's judgement of his wife.

Especially when said primordial had the power to toy with a god as powerful as Set. Amos was no fool and he knew full well that the Greek goddess had not taken the fight with his patron seriously at all and yet managed to almost effortlessly defeat him.

Though ironically it was this fact that allowed Amos to hide the fact that Set had possessed him once more. Instead, convincing his fellow Magicians that he'd simply overreacted to a misunderstanding. It was easier after all to accept that then the fact that one of their most powerful gods had been easily trounced by this foreign deity.

He'd nevertheless shared the truth with those he trusted most and it was generally agreed that they needed to err on the side of caution when it came to Ophis. That and have him regularly monitored for possession which was a troublesome if necessary precaution in light of recent events.

Despite that, he retained his position as Chief Lector and it was on his orders that the House of Life sent some of its best Magicians to shadow Ophis and Alex during their time in Egypt. Much to his pleasant surprise, nothing unusual happened for the remainder of the couple's week long trip. Excepting a constant guard detail of demons that followed the couple everywhere they went. Though considering the ruckus that happened on their first day in the country, Amos couldn't really blame Apophis for going out of his way to keep his daughter safe.

Now if only the others were as accepting. He'd lost count of the number of times over the week that someone proposed they attack them and if nothing else cull the demons. Nevermind the potential that had of dragging in Ophis into the fight. A fight that if that happened, they very likely had no way of winning.

As such it was with relief that Amos watched the couple's flight take off from Cairo International Airport. Amused somewhat as well by the fact that they had chosen to fly only because, if surveillance was to be believed, Alex insisted they try flying at least one way.

"Well, at least they're gone." Amos commented as the couple's plane disappeared from sight. "Now I just need to arrange with the other Nomes about setting up surveillance when they touch down."

"You will do nothing of the sort." A hissing serpentine voice said from behind him.

Spinning around, Amos found himself face to face with a tall and scarecrow skinny demon with rooster claws instead of feet. His face was that of a human's with the skin stripped away. He had beady black eyes, a fanged mouth and leathery bat wings growing out of his back.

Amos recognized it immediately. This was Face of Horror, one of Apophis' favored servants during his recent raise to power. It was supposed to be dead but the Magician did not doubt the Dreaded One's ability to resurrect it should it feel like it.

The Chief Lector tensed for a fight but the demon ignored this and just kept talking.

"I bear a message from your gods and my Lord Apophis." The demon said with a cruel smirk. "The House of Life crosses the streams at their own peril."

"What?"

Paying his confusion no heed, the demon continued.

"Your _Pharoah_ ," The demon spat the word out with disgust. "Will receive much the same message from Horus in his dreams tonight. As will all the Eyes from their patrons."

_Why in the world would the gods work with Apophis? They're mortal enemies. It has to be lying._

"Also, my Lord Apophis reminds you that if you or yours threatens his daughter again, you will face his wrath."

"I have enough of your nonsense, demon. **Ha-di!** "

At Amos' invocation, an explosion ripped apart the place where the demon stood or it should have if the demon was still there. The moment it had finished delivering its message, it had vanished and all Amos' spell had destroyed was a chunk of masonry.

Mocking laughter filled the air as Amos glared at the spot.

"Remember my warnings well, Magician." The voice of Face of Horrors echoed all around Amos as he spun around to find its source. "Or you will face destruction."

"Show yourself!"

More mocking laughter that faded away into the silence was Amos' only answer.

* * *

**Done!**

**I hope I didn't make Amos and Set too OOC. I haven't read the Kane Chronicles in a while and so I probably did make them OOC to a certain extent though I hope I kept within reasonable tolerances. Set's motivation here, him wanting a fight with Ophis, is probably the least plausible part of their depictions. That said, as can be seen when Amos was channeling him in the Serpent's Shadow, he did demonstrate considerable battle lust so I'm comfortable making the inference that he'd do something like he did in this short.**

**Another thing I want to address is power levels. Yes, Ophis owned Set. Yes, Set is supposed to be the second most powerful Egyptian god. Do keep in mind however that this wasn't Set vs. Ophis, it was Ophis vs. Set's avatar. Plus Set was deep in the Duat, like Ra's decree demanded, during the fight. Ophis thus had the deck heavily stacked in her favor. Could she have won regardless? Yes. She's a greater primordial and Set for all his power is still only a god. As the Rise of a New Power established, greater primordials trump gods in the power department. She'd have a harder time doing it though if he'd fought her directly.  
**

**And that concludes what I want to discuss this chapter**

**Till next time. Peace.**


	11. The family grows

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Riordanverse.**

**Serpent's Halcyon Days**

**Chapter 11: The family grows**

**Betas: None so far, you're welcome to apply**

* * *

Hera, the Queen of Olympus, sat patiently at a table set out on the main balcony of her Olympian palace. Looking out at the unrivaled view of New York City below her mind wandered to the guest she was expecting to join her for some tea, her little sister Ophis.

_She's been practically glowing lately._ The matron of women noted with a pleasant smile. _Finding her Consort has been good for her._

That was not to say though that she was completely happy with her sister's recent marriage. The goddess was still slightly annoyed that Ophis had foregone a proper wedding ceremony. As the goddess of marriage she'd been looking forward to helping her sister organize the grandest event possible.

Though considering the massive event Calypso's wedding had been, Hera could understand why Ophis might be put off. Her little sister had very quietly been complaining about all the fuss she had to go through to arrange that extravaganza for ages. And even now, Hera knew that it was something of a sore topic for Ophis.

That said, she did allow her subjects to revel in the streets for a whole week after her own very private ceremony so she doesn't feel that was a good excuse.

_If she let them do that, then she can't mind all the hassle as much as she pretends._

Then again the private ceremony with only friends and family in attendance was quite wonderful and suited Ophis' sensibilities well. Hera was still very honored to have been asked by her sister to officiate the ceremony.

Shaking her head to clear it of the circular argument, she frowned. "Ophis is late. This is unlike her, I wonder what's keeping her."

Almost as if her words had summoned her, Ophis teleported in. Immediately Hera noticed something about her sister that brought a bright smile to her face.

"Congratulations, sister." The goddess of family said standing up and pulling the younger woman into a hug.

"Hello, Hera." Ophis said as she returned the hug before pulling away. "Um. What are you congratulating me for?"

Hera quirked her brow at that. Surely Ophis knew.

"Your pregnancy, of course."

Ophis' eyes grew wide as saucers and she paled. "M-My what?"

"Come now, sister. Surely you jest. You must have known you're with child."

Shaking her head vigorously Ophis continued to deny it. "Big Sister, are you joking?"

_Maybe she really doesn't know._ Hera mused contemplatively. Her sister was powerful and that gave her a great level of omniscience but she was also young. It might have slipped her notice.

"I assure you, Ophis, I would never joke about something like this."

"Oh." Ophis said quietly as her still wide eyes drifted to her still flat stomach and her powers searched her own being. "Oh! I _am_ pregnant."

"I told you so." Hera said with a smile.

"They are beautiful." Ophis said as her head tilted back and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

Catching the girl's limp body, Hera shook her head at her sister's antics. Honestly, trying to see her children's future when they were still in her womb? Who did something that reckless and draining? Silly first time mothers apparently.

Despite her exasperation, the goddess of marriage, home and family carefully picked her sister up and carried her over to a couch where she could recover.

_This is going to be one interesting pregnancy to watch._ Hera mused to herself with a smile as she sat down beside her sister and ran her hands comfortingly through her long hair.

* * *

Alex did his best to smother his nerves as Apollo escorted his wife into his clinic on Olympus for a prenatal checkup. He hoped he wasn't the only one but if Nico, Hestia or Hera were feeling the same, they didn't show it.

"You know, I didn't expect to get my sentence to mortality reduced just so I could be your obstetrician, Aunt Ophis." Apollo joked with that irritatingly blinding smile of his.

"Are you complaining, Nephew?" Ophis shot back. "After I went out of my way to help you get that reprieve and even allowed you to finish up the year at the school even after your restoration?"

"Of course, I'm beyond grateful Aunt. But I can't help but be bemused too. Or don't you recall _why_ I was punished in the first place."

Ophis just huffed in annoyance at Apollo's jab. Even as Alex stopped himself from nodding in agreement with the god. He had after all been punished for 'corrupting' Ophis' innocence, and here she was well before his sentence was complete thoroughly 'corrupted' as evidenced by the child growing in her womb. Though considering that Alex had been the one to help conceive that child, he really didn't have room to say anything.

Not unless he wanted to sleep on the couch for the next few weeks.

"Apollo, be professional." Hestia chided. "And take good care of Ophis."

The god of healing shot them all a salute over his shoulder as he walked Ophis into his examination room.

"Oh, be serious!" Alex heard Ophis chide her nephew as the door closed.

With his wife in the doctor's office, Alex and the others settled down to wait in the tastefully appointed waiting room. The place was beautifully decorated, but Alex noticed none of it. Instead, his nerves got the better of him as he fidgeted anxiously.

"How long will this take?" He couldn't help but ask, worry over what Ophis had to go through making his voice strained. He didn't think Apollo would do anything untoward but he'd read up on what might be expected in checkups like this and couldn't help but find them incredibly embarrassing and even invasive. He honestly couldn't imagine going through them, and liked the idea of Ophis doing so even less. The only thing keeping him from storming in there was the risk of his wife's displeasure and the necessity of the examination.

Hera shot him a comforting smile, apparently sensing his unease. "Only a few minutes. Magic makes things quick and easy."

"Though why are you even worried about the time?" Nico asked suspiciously.

Alex expected that. His demigod brother-in-law and the most beloved of his wife's siblings never did fully trust his intentions. Alex understood where he was coming from. He'd seen Ophis' overprotectiveness first hand, and she'd have to had learned it from somewhere. That said, it did get trying to deal with the son of Hades' suspicions all the time.

"There's plenty of people back on Ogygia that are nervously waiting on news." Alex reminded the Ghost King, deflecting from the true cause of his unease. "Koios, Bob and Damasen, all of whom aren't allowed on Olympus. Then there's Lily."

Everyone flinched at the mention of Ophis' firstborn.

Lily had been incredibly neurotic ever since she'd learned about the pregnancy. She'd been obsessively preparing to, in her own words, be the best big sister ever. To that effect she'd been bugging everyone who might vaguely have an idea for tips on how to treat her unborn siblings. She'd also went around all of Ogygia obsessively making the whole island child safe. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Considering how excitable she was, it was unanimously decided she'd stay behind on Ogygia for the day under Fidi's watchful care.

"Hades isn't here either." Hestia chimed in. "It's not the Winter Solstice."

"Father really wanted to be here too." Nico said, looking accusingly at Hera.

The Queen of Olympus brushed off the glare. "In hindsight perhaps we should have just arranged for the checkup to be conducted on Ogygia. Something to note for the future."

Hestia nodded, pleased that Hera was being accommodating.

Alex barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. It never stopped exasperating him how roundabout the Olympian gods tended to be when trying to convince each other to do things. Seriously, couldn't they be more direct?

He was pulled from his critical assessment of the Olympians when Nico spoke up.

"Alex, how does it feel becoming a father?"

It might be another one of Nico's endless tests of his worthiness but Alex didn't care, he chose to be honest.

"I'm actually a little overwhelmed. I'm excited definitely, but at the same time I don't know the first thing about being a parent much less one to a god or goddess."

"It'll come naturally to you over time." Hera told him with a reassuring smile.

"And if you and Ophis ever need anything, the whole family will be more than willing to help." Hestia added.

"Thank you."

The group descended into a companionable silence for a few moments then as they continued to wait patiently. It was broken however when Nico sighed.

"What's the matter?" Alex asked politely.

"Nothing, really." Nico replied with a weak smile. "It's just I'm surprised Ophis to get pregnant so soon."

"Surprised?" Hestia asked her nephew teasingly.

Nico had the faintest traces of a blush but didn't deign to respond.

"Well, I don't think it's that big of a deal. I mean she was already the first to become a parent." Alex pointed out.

"And she's a goddess," Hera joined in. "We mature far more quickly than you mortals, even half-bloods."

"True," Nico agreed. "But I just never thought my little sister would start a family so quickly. It makes me feel old."

"Does this mean you want me to hint to Will that you want him to propose?"

Nico's face flushed at that, even as he hissed at Alex for the jab.

"Stay out of my business, Fierro."

Alex just chuckled at Nico's expense.

Any further conversation was deferred by the door to the examination door opening and Ophis and Apollo stepping out. At once everyone stood up and approached the two as they walked towards them.

"As expected, Ophis is perfectly healthy and the pregnancy is going well." Apollo announced with a brilliant smile on his face.

Alex couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped him as he heard that, something which earned him an amused shake of her head as his wife pressed herself against his side.

"Why are you being evasive, Apollo?"

"Relax, Hera." The god of healing said his hands raised placatingly. "I'm just trying to allow the happy mother to be the one to share the news."

Everyone turned to look at Ophis, but she ignored them to instead turn to whisper directly into Alex's ear.

"We're having twins." His beautiful wife told him. "A boy and a girl."

As the revelation reached his ears, Alex's mind was filled with a vision of the future.

Ophis was chasing Lily and a little girl that was her carbon copy but with his heterochromatic eyes through the shrubbery of a well tended parkland while he and a little boy with his petite figure and eyes but Ophis' face were cooking up some barbecue.

"Perfect." Alex gasped out as the vision Ophis' words had conjured faded and he felt his grip on consciousness fade. As he passed out, he couldn't help the ear splitting grin that spread across his face.

* * *

It was nearing midnight on Ogygia and its ruling couple were naked and relaxing in bed.

Feeling sated from a heated round of lovemaking, Ophis leaned back on the headboard and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the last of the fading pleasure. Her eyes opened slowly as she felt Alex pull the blankets of their bed up to her shoulders.

"It's cold tonight." The other woman informed her as she finished adjusting the bedclothes.

"Thank you, darling." Ophis said with a smile, even as she used her powers to turn the temperature in their bedroom up a little.

Even as the room warmed, Alex clutched the blanket around herself against the still present cold and leaned over Ophis to place her head against her swollen belly.

"Can you hear anything?" Ophis asked her wife.

Smiling in that teasing way that never failed to coax a laugh out of her, Alex jokingly replied. "It sounds like the twins are fighting a war in there."

Giggling at the joke, Ophis decided to play along. "They better not be or Mummy will be very cross with them for all the pain they'll cause me."

"Daddy will be cross too."

Ophis stilled.

"You've decided that's what they should call you?" The protogenos asked her lover carefully, knowing full well how sensitive this topic was for her gender fluid spouse.

"Yeah." Alex said with a firm nod. "I've thought about it a lot lately and there's no point denying I'm their father, whatever gender I might be at that time."

"I'm glad you made peace with that. I knew it was bugging you."

That was a major understatement. Alex had been so unsettled by the issue that she'd taken to sneaking out of their bed and pacing the corridors of the palace on nights when the matter kept her up. The worry that accepting any label either as Father or Mother to the children would confine her gender warring with her desire to avoid confusing their children. Ophis had tried her best to help but as Alex herself had pointed out, this was something she needed to handle on her own.

"The twins don't need to be confused about what to call me." Alex said with a shrug that belied just how conflicted the matter had left her.

"So long as you're okay with it."

"I am." Alex reassured her.

"Then I'm thankful. I knew it wasn't easy for you to make peace with the issue."

With a sultry look on her face, Alex turned to face Ophis. "If you're so grateful then maybe you can reward me in some way?"

Feeling the stirring of desire within her once again at her wife's tone, Ophis replied in a husky voice. "And what exactly does my wife want as her reward?"

Alex reached a hand under the covers to take one of Ophis' and moved it to her crotch.

Smirking, Ophis obliged her lover's unspoken request even as Alex bent over to kiss her.

* * *

Nico was pleased to have a chance to have breakfast with Ophis and her family in their palace on Ogygia. With her pregnancy, his Little Sister had become something of a recluse, rarely traveling outside the confines of her domains. That meant Nico, who had his own duties as a Counselor at Camp Half-Blood had fewer opportunities to spend time with her.

That was possibly why he couldn't help stare at Ophis' very pregnant belly.

_At least she's using her adult form today. Seeing her pregnant while looking like a little girl was just disturbing._ Nico thought to himself as he shuddered at the memory of his sister in her favored guise of a ten year old walking around Camp with her belly swollen with child.

Considering the aghast looks many Campers shot her that day and the stern talking to that he'd heard she'd gotten from Chiron, Nico was sure he wasn't the only one unsettled by the sight.

That said, looking at his adult looking sister with her tummy three or four times its normal size wasn't much better either.

"Stop it. You're staring." Will hissed into his ear as he nudged Nico's ribs.

Ophis laughed as Nico wrenched his eyes away from her stomach.

"Big Brother, you do remember that I'm pregnant and not a zoo exhibit, right?" She teased.

"S-Sorry." Nico apologized hastily.

Ophis waved her hand dismissively but froze mid motion.

"Mummy? What's wrong?" Lily asked, looking up from her half eaten plate of grilled dormice.

"I-I think my water just broke." Ophis said, sounding surprisingly calm.

In contrast, Nico was anything but calm.

_My sister is giving birth! Now!_ The son of Hades thought to himself as his mind blanked.

That however paled in comparison to Lily's response. While Nico froze, his niece had entered panic mode and had slithered off screaming at the top of her lungs for help and that the babies were coming.

"Alex," Will said in a commanding voice. "Make Ophis comfortable and if the contractions start, help her through the breathing exercises."

Alex nodded and helped Ophis up from her chair and onto a nearby couch that Nico swore hadn't been there a moment ago. He sat down next to her and gripping her hand firmly did his best to keep her calm.

Will on the other hand had Iris Messaged his father. Apollo's beaming image had barely taken shape in the rainbow when Damasen rushed into the room and over to Ophis' side.

This commotion finally jolted Nico back to his senses and he shot up from his seat to see Alex help Ophis to her feet and out into the hall. Will keeping pace with them as Damasen raced ahead to prepare the delivery room.

He was just about to follow when a burst of blinding golden light filled the dining room. As it cleared, Nico gaped at Apollo and what looked like a whole company of minor gods of healing standing there expectantly.

"Where's Aunt Ophis?" Apollo demanded, his tone brooking no nonsense.

"On her way to the delivery room. It's th-"

Without even waiting for him to finish, the gods disappeared in another golden flash presumably to relocate to the aforementioned delivery room.

Shaking the spots out of his eyes, Nico followed them at a more mundane run. Worry for his little sister foremost in his mind.

* * *

The labour had been excruciating but if Apollo was to be believed blessedly short. Though considering it took her a full hour, Ophis couldn't quite believe him. Nevertheless as she cradled her twins in her arms and Alex stood proudly by her bedside looking down on their precious children, it was all worth it.

Around them Apollo and his medical team of gods and goddesses bustled about cleaning up after the delivery, but the couple didn't pay them any mind. In that moment, they barely even registered. All their attention were on their perfect children.

Looking down at her daughter Bianca, who even as a newborn had her beautiful brown and amber eyes that she'd inherited from her father open to survey all around her, Ophis couldn't even begin to describe the immense feeling of joy that coursed through her veins.

Her son, Mario, named after his paternal grandfather, possibly upset at the lack of attention began making a fuss. Alex with the deft hand of long practice picked him up to calm him down by gently rocking him in his arms.

"Looks like all that practice with those dolls paid off." Ophis teased him. "You're a great dad already."

"Nah." Alex said softly as he gave Mario's forehead a tender kiss. "I'm still learning."

"You'll do great." Ophis assured him.

As if in agreement, Bianca raised her fist at her father.

"Look even Bianca says so."

Alex chuckled.

"Sorry to interrupt." Hygieia, the goddess of health, cleanliness and hygiene and Apollo's granddaughter, said after politely clearing her throat. "Are you ready to see the rest of the family?"

Ophis shot Alex a questioning look and he nodded.

Turning to the goddess with a smile, Ophis said. "We're ready."

Hygieia smiled at the new parents and newborns, before turning to give her grandfather a nod. Offering his own smile to his Aunt and her family, he opened the delivery room doors to the sight of practically all the gods of Olympus and Asgard, and their family and friends from all over the Nine Worlds all waiting expectantly in the hall beyond.

At seeing the crowd, Ophis gulped nervously. Alex took her hand however and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Turning to her husband, he gave her an encouraging nod. "Together."

"Always." Ophis replied with the weight of an oath more binding than any governed by the Styx.

* * *

**This was a fun chapter to write. Hope you guys liked it.**

**Not much to say about the content too, so I think I'll just straight to the point. This is the end of this collection of shorts for now.**

**I might get ideas for new shorts in the future but this is it for now. Which means this is the end of the Ophisverse. Though if you have any prompts you want me to consider do feel free to drop a review or send me a PM. No promises but if I find the idea interesting enough I might just write it.**

**For those of you which have been with me through the whole journey, thank you so very much. I hope it was a fun read.**

**Till my next project. Peace.**


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